


She Came From Outta Space!.. I Think?

by Trash_Queen_Puffy



Category: One Piece
Genre: Asexual Relationship, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, For now I don't plan to kill anyone... Well kill them forever I mean :3c, Gen, Lots of movie refs... Tani really likes movies, Luffy is a dumbass and everyone just kinda accepts that, Luffy just wants a piggyback, There's angst but it's there to balance out that glorious fluff, What's a sense of humour? Where do I get one of those?, big dumbass energy, characters are too dense for their own good, kinda Slow Burn but not really, lots of hugs, this is just to have fun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-01-05 11:33:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 107,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18365165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trash_Queen_Puffy/pseuds/Trash_Queen_Puffy
Summary: Waking up on the deck of a pirate ship in the middle of the ocean is not how Tanisha Lowe really planned her weekend to begin. Equipped with her trusty roller blades and a supply of fruit roll ups, she's ready to take on the high seas with her new and unexpected friends.





	1. Why Am I On Some Wooden Boat In The Middle Of The Ocean?

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings! This is my first time posting a story on AO3, so I'm sorry if it's a bit messy at first.   
> I've been working on this story for a couple months now and finally decided I'd made enough back log to start posting it. feel free to comment and ask questions, as it'll keep me motivated to keep on writing. 
> 
> I can't wait to share this adventure with everyone :3c

It should come as no surprise that reclusive individuals such as Tanisha Lowe, haven't really had an easy time making friends. Not that she really cared, Tani much preferred spending her days roller skating around the local skate park or messing around with her yo-yos, showing off her mad skills to nobody but herself and the young kids that would sometimes wander over and watch her swing the plastic circles around.

Today wasn't really any different from any ol' regular day, classes came and went. Lunch break was as awkward as usual with all Tani's peers magnetising towards their respective groups, leaving her seated alone on a park bench to eat and entertain herself. Not that she was complaining, Tani had tried and failed to make friends with the other girls and boys of her school. Whether it was her looks or childish personality, they would always end up drifting away or find others to replace her.

Tani sat down on the bench she normally sat at during break, the one that was right behind the basketball courts. She fished into her trusty backpack for the half finished box of fruit roll ups. Unwrapping and practically shoving the sweet into her mouth, she smiled with delight. Looking out towards the basketball courts filled with her classmates playing said game. A majority of them just messing around and having fun in the company of each other. Her smile dropped slightly, but she pushed away the creeping thoughts and reached into her bag again.

Pulling out a yo-yo, she attached the string to her right index finger and began tossing it around, pulling it back and forth for some warm ups before really having some fun. Pushing herself off the bench, her legs carried her away from the basketball courts. The path she followed lead towards the primary schoolers side of the campus. The younger kids always had a blast watching the older girl messing around with her yo-yos.

"I'm the captain! Set sail!" the loud shouts of a boy, no older than 10. Grabbed at Tani's attention, swinging her yo-yo around her, she walked towards the group of young boys standing on a picnic table playing pirates or something. She made her way over, watching with curiosity as the boys all ran around to take on the orders of the captain who stood proudly on the very top of the table.

"Mind if I join your crew mister captain?" Tani leaned against the table, tilting her head up to look at the stunned captain. He crossed his arms and laughed with a deep voice, used to sound cooler, "Ha ha ha! Girls can't be pirates! That's bad luck," his tone was playful.

The smile Tani had in her face shifted into a smirk, "Girls can't be pirates? Well that's not true, what about captain Rose of the butterfly pirates?" she retorted, now standing in front of the table with her arms crossed to mimic the boy before me. He stared at her with a slack jaw, like the concept of a female pirate never crossed his mind. His pirate crew had stopped moving and all gathered around the captain, ready to hear the tales of captain Rose and her crew.

"Many people have yet to hear the tale of Captain Rose and her crew, some say she was the strongest woman to ever sail the seven seas!" Tani told, the boys all leaned in closer. "She's fought huge sea monsters, like the kraken and great white shark!" her arms motioned out wide, earning gasps from some of the boys. "she has faced many foes, like Blackbeard and the legendary captain Kidd. Both fights she walked away without a single scratch. To this day she's still great pals with those old bags," the boys gasped at Tani's claims.

She brought her hand closer to her mouth, her pointer finger held in front of her mouth, she paused. The boys all leaned even closer, practically in her face as they listened to her with great intensity. Then she clicked her finger and chuckled as the boys all backed away in surprise. "it's said that Captain Rose has a legendary treasure hidden away on a secret island that can't be found on any maps of the world, the mystery treasure is said to be worth more than the president and queen's money combined, and those who find it," she paused, the boys all bounced with anticipation.

"will rule the whole entire world,"

The boys all gasped in amazement, the captain from before hand jumping to the ground and held a stick he had found on the grass high in the air. "crew! We must find captain Roses legendary treasure! And together we will rule the world!" he rallied, the rest of the boys cheered with him. Tani looked at them with a wide grin, letting out a hearty laugh. She jumped on the table and saluted her captain, who saluted back.

Lunch break could only last so long, with the end of lunch time came the impending doom that was school. Ruling the world with her captain and crew was great fun, but the real world likes to come in and spoil the fun. She span her yo-yo around quickly, a more springy hop in her step as she walked away from the children that seemed more accepting of her, towards the lonely classroom she wanted to run away from... Actually why couldn't she run away? Not like she really needed it after all.

Hands secured onto her bag straps, she strayed from the path leading to the building she was dreading. Making a run towards the school gate, no teachers were standing guard. The gates were closed but that hasn't stopped her before, with a smirk she begins picking up the pace and before she slammed into the gate, she jumped up and grabbed the metal bars on top of the gates and tossed herself over in one swift movement. Her legs slamming into the concrete ground below her.

"Hey! get back here!" the booming voice of a teacher caught the escapee's attention, she didn't turn back and opted to make a run for it. Laughing off the adrenaline with her mess of dark brown curls flowing behind her. She ran a familiar path, a corner here and a left there. A lovely little suburban home came into view, the car normally parked in the drive way was absent. Indicating that the one person that Tani didn't want to run into right now, was also absent from the house.

Tani waltzed into the house and flopped onto her small bed, her large denim jacket now discarded on the ground along side her bag and lucky cap. The room wasn't the biggest, but Tani didn't really care. If she could fit her stuff in the room than that's all that mattered. She deflated on the bed from the long since passed adrenaline rush. She laughed to herself at the great escape she made, rolling onto her back to stare at the plain white ceiling with her arms behind her head. A content sigh left her as she relaxed on the bed, the joy of hanging around the boys was still fresh in her mind. All that talk of pirate treasure and fighting giant squids give her a joy she couldn't really describe.

Pushing herself off the bed, Tani reclaimed her jacket, cap and bag. Making her way outside with a pair of roller blades equipped, she set off towards the local skating ring. The trip being pretty short from her home anyway. The place was bare, most regulars still being in school. Left her with all the space she needed to practice some tricks on her blades.

She glided across the ring as if she was flying like a butterfly, the thought brought up the butterfly pirates and their awesome captain Rose. The story may have been fake, but the sparks of inspiration and wonder that lit within the boys was as real as can be. Tani twirled and jumped though the air, as if she was dancing with the wind. Her jacket spread like wings, the weight of the world leaving her mind as she felt weightless and free for a blissful moment... Then her feet smacked into a bar she had failed to notice. Balance was lost, and the girl fell face first into the dirt underneath her.

Tani groaned to herself, a rush of pain bloomed in her head when she pushed herself off the ground. Her hands rubbed the pained spot in a comforting way to help ease the pain. In recovering, Tani noticed the shine of something hidden in the bushes that surrounded the rings outside.

Stumbling slightly due to the combination of a head injury and roller blades on a soft surface. Tani managed to reach the bush, her arms too short to reach the shiny thing without falling into the bush. With a sigh she lowered herself into a crawl and passed through the bushes into an opening. Like a secret hideaway. Tani looked around in amazement, the shine that brought her here once again catching her attention.

Her hand reached out to grab the shining object, but when her hand touched it. The shine disappeared, as if it had never been there. A shiny little bell rested in the palm of her hand. Shaking it produced a small jingle, nothing special. A huff left the girl as she stood in the opening and looked around her, the warm sunshine and calm quiet of the area made for a pretty sweet napping spot. Not sure if it was the headache talking or just the environment, but a wave of sleepiness creeped into the dark girls mind. A large yawn escaped the now tired girls mouth. She dropped to the ground, propping her bag up as a pillow. Her head now resting upon the makeshift pillow, eyes growing heavy and breath slowing down. She fell asleep within the minute.

The strong smell of salt water in the air hit the nose of an unconscious Tani, the change of environment caused her body to react with a sleep destroying sneeze. Her whole body sprang up with the loud sneeze. Her eyes groggily lifted with a blur still present from the relaxing sleep she had awoken from so rudely by her own body being the worst. She rubbed her eyes and blinked away the blur. No longer being surrounded by the greenery that surrounded her before, now she was on the wooden deck of a boat surrounded by the ocean...

"Where the hell am I!?" she panicked, jumping to her feet and promptly falling over because of her still roller bladed feet. Her breathing hitched at the sound of movement from somewhere on the wooden ship, she quickly took to unclipping the blades from her feet and attaching them to the sides of her bag. Jumping up from the ground she made a break for the side of the ship. She looked out to the horizon to find no land at all! How long was she out?!

No time to question the situation she drapped one leg over the railing preparing herself to jump off. The clapping of sandles and boots drew closer, her head whipping around to reveal four people standing before her.

"What the hell are you doing on our ship?!" The only girl of the group called out to Tani. Who was now pumping with adrenaline, she froze on the spot while her heart pounded hard against her chest. She stared at the group, all of them looked about ready to kill her... Or maybe that was just the adrenaline talking. Either way she wanted off this ship. So with a brave face she kicked her other leg off the deck and dived overboard.

The girls voice called out to one of her crew mates. Tani was mere inches away from the water when she felt an arm wrap around her waist. Instincts kicked into high gear as she grasped the arm and spun her body to twist the grip off to free herself, in a sorta messy suplex.

Fortunately this worked, as the arm that had grabbed her was now loosened... And the guy who had grabbed her was now falling off the boat with her. The crew above panicked as the both of them broke the surface of the water, Tani resurfaced quickly. While the crew above called out orders, something about the guy who had grabbed her not being able to swim. 'what idiot pirate doesn't know how to swim?!' Tani thought to herself, mentally face palming.

The crew was too busy freaking out, that they forgot to actually jump in and save the crew member who was sinking in the first place. Tani didn't really want to have murder added to the list of things she had done in her life, and with a groan she sucked in a breath and submerged herself into the water to find the sinking body of the boy who had grabbed her.

Tani was proud to say that she was one of the best swimmers in her school, winning many first place ribbons in swimming sports events held by the school. So it took her no effort to locate and grab the raven haired boy and pull him back up to the surface. The boy coughed up a lung when the two of them could breath, his body was as stiff as a board. It was like he couldn't move at all! The wide eyes of the boy looked into Tani's swampy green eyes, a huge grin spread across his face. Tani ignored him and called up to his crew.

"Oi! Can you come collect your idiot friend over here!" she waved the arm that wasn't keeping the board of a boy afloat. This caught the attention of the red head girl, who ordered the guy with green hair to lower a rope ladder for the two in the water to climb. Tani paddled as best she could over to the ladder and lifted the boy up to grab and pull him self out of the water. Once he was out, he looked back at her with that huge grin still plastered to his face.

"you'll die if you don't get aboard," called out the red head, who was leaning over the railing, "there isn't an island for miles, and I don't see any boats," she reasoned.

Tani looked up, weighting out her options. She was in an unknown location, stuck in the middle of the ocean with random people on a random boat made of wood! What is this the dark ages? But these people are still strangers to her, what if they wanted to sell her into the slave trade? Or butcher her for organs to sell on the black market? She'd heard the crazy shit that happens to people.

She didn't have time to think before she was one again grabbed, this time by the shoulders and ripped out of the water. Her brain only now catching up to the fact that the boy she had saved was now tossing her onto the boat... His arms had stretched like a strip of bubblegum! Tani's heart rate accelerated at the crazy display. His arms retracted back into him, as if that whole thing never happened. Tani's eyes darted back and forth between the four people standing in front of her. She scurried as far away from them as she could, not wanting to be close to the crazy elastic guy or the tall dude with the green hair and three swords hanging off his belt! Why three? Who knows!

"why are you on this ship?" the red head asked, her voice was very demanding which really struck a cord with Tani. The panic now washed away with a face of attitude, she stood up off the ground. Her heart hadn't stopped pounding against her chest, her legs had a slight shiver to them, but her body stood strong and tall even in the face of danger. She crossed her arms, and didn't say a word.

The red head groaned, "look, we don't want to cause any trouble. We've had enough of that from the black cat pirates. Now tell us how you got on the ship and we won't kick your ass." she threatened. Tani stiffened at that comment, and weighted out her options again. Pissing off the only people in this area probably wasn't the greatest idea.

"look Ginger, I have no idea why I'm here. One minute I'm taking a nap in the bushes next to the skating ring, the next I'm waking up on a boat in the middle of whatever ocean this is," she stated bluntly, masking her fear under an aggressive tone. The red head narrowed her eyes, like she was staring into Tani's soul. When the boy that couldn't swim waltzed over and poked Tani on the cheek.

"I think she's cool," the boy declared, a laugh followed his claim. Catching Tani off guard, while his crew mates seemed to react in a manner as if this was regular for the guy. "I mean she's a mystery girl," he continued, poking her cheek a couple more times before she batted his hand away. Which received two hands poking her cheeks. She tried to push him away from her, but he jumped out of the way and kept poking at her. She growled and continued to attack while he dodged her every move, the both of them ignoring the angered cries of the red head who was yelling at both of them for ignoring her.

The two continued to mess around, Tani loosened up a bit at the playfulness of the boy. Even losing that snooty scowl in exchange for a small smile as she worked harder to fight back against the pokes to her cheeks. That all came crashing down when the red head smacked the both of them in the heads. The red head tapped her heels.

"Luffy! Do you realize that she could be a danger to this crew?" she scolded, the boy looked up at her with that big grin and laughed. "we don't even know who she is! What if she's a spy sent by the marines?" She asked, he turned his head towards their newest occupant.

"so what's your name mystery girl?" he asked, she looked around at the group of people surrounding her, the guy with the swords had sat by the railing and looks as if he was about to take a nap, the guy with the big lips and goggles had been standing behind the mast the whole time with shaking legs. Luffy pointed at the different people on the ship.

"that's Zoro, the greatest swords man on the east blue," he pointed at the green haired guy, the guy lazily waved before losing interest. "that's Usopp, the ships sniper and liar," he motioned towards the guy with the shaking legs, "and this is Nami, the ships navigator," he stated when pointing at the red head. He pointed to himself, "And I'm Luffy, the captain and future king of the pirates,"

...

"hold up! You're the captain?" Tani pointed at him, Luffy cheerily nodded to confirm her question. She laughed at the absurdity, "but how can you be the captain, if you can't even swim?" she giggled. Luffy's smile dropped slightly but was still there.

"well aren't you gonna say your name?" Nami grumbled, leaning on the railing opposite from Tani and Luffy. Tani rolled her eyes

"the names Tanisha,"


	2. Can't Go Home? Join My Crew Instead!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tani doesn't take this whole "being stuck into another world" thing very well. lucky for her, she's stuck with the Straw hat pirates :3c

Tani stood before the crew she had just introduced herself to, Nami gave her a look of disapproval. Tani was really starting to dislike the judgemental looks she got from the red head. Nami spoke up to grab everyone's attention, "well we don't have any extra boats for you to use, so you're stuck here until the next island. Make yourself useful and stay out of my way," and with that she walked away from everyone and disappeared from view.

Tani poked her tongue out in the direction of Nami. Riled up and needing a way to relax she pulled her bag off her shoulders and opened the main pocket. Fishing inside to grab one of her yo-yo's, the string already secured around her index finger. She whipped the toy out and began warming up with a few simple ups and downs, as per usual. The distaste for a certain red head washed away with every bounce of the spinning circle.

Tani hadn't failed to notice the awe on Luffy's face as he watched the yo-yo bounce up and down in a hypnotic fashion. She normally had this effect on little kids, but a guy that looks roughly her age... Make that two because the Usopp guy is also watching the yo-yo with awe. A smirk snuck it's way onto her face as she upped her game and started performing tricks.

Usopp left his hiding place and stood beside Luffy as they watched and gasped whenever Tani did anything with the yo-yo. She didn't appear to be a threat, but the thoughts on most of their minds was how this mystery girl magically appeared on the ship. Nami watched her from the kitchens window, spying on her in case she did anything to harm the idiots she was travelling with. A sigh left her, the girl was rather hostile and held her guard up. So getting anything out of her wouldn't be easy, and those idiots would trust anything that didn't attack first. Nami was truly questioning why the hell she was on this crazy ship in the first place. She turned her attention back to the cheering Luffy as he tried to play around with the toy that Tanisha had brought with her.

"alright, how about we start by trying to get the yo-yo back into our hands," she instructed Luffy and Usopp, who now held the spare yo-yos that she had in her bag, she kept spares in case little kids wanted to play around with them. She demonstrated by dropping the yo-yo down the string and pulling it back up with a flick of the wrist. The yo-yo now rested in her palm, she motioned for them to try it. Usopp caught on pretty quickly, getting it after attempt two or three... Luffy was not so great.

"I think mines broken," he pouted, Tani snickered, before walking to his side and putting her hand right next to his. "follow my lead," she requested, dropping and flicking the yo-yo back up. Luffy watched closely, and repeated, doing just as she instructed and was rewarded with the yo-yo rolling back up the string into his hand.

"woooh this is awesome!" he cheered, Tani felt a smile form on her face at how happy he was from something so simple. Then again she couldn't really talk she found yo-yos and roll ups exciting.

"I wanna do a cool trick now!" Luffy cheered, Usopp cheered too as he too asked to learn a new trick. Tani looked between the two, when a nasty shot of pain raced to her head. The headache she had forgotten decided to pop its ugly mug back into existence. Both of Tani's hands went up to massage the pulsing spot on her forehead.

The headache reminding her of the days previous events, playing pirates with the boys, the nap in the bushes only to find herself waking up on the deck of a pirate ship. It all seemed a bit too coincidentally, like a crazy realistic dream. Which would explain the strange thing that Luffy did with his arms being all stretched and throwing her onto the boat. That's just it right? This is all a dream. Yet.... The pain in her head was all too real. Wasn't it a thing that if you feel pain when dreaming, then you aren't really dreaming? The questions piled on top of each other.

"hey!" Usopp waved a hand in front of the spaces out girls face, she didn't seem to snap back to reality. Luffy knocked on top of her head which made her eyes tear up slightly as she flinched away in pain. Usopp hit the top of Luffy's head and scolded him for what he did. Tani fell to the deck and curled in on herself, a mix of the headache and the terror of the situation that she wasn't sure she was stuck in or dreaming up. The tears dribbled down her face, lip quivering and shoulders shaking.

The boys stopped arguing and freaked out over the crying girl on the ground. Usopp ran to grab Nami in case it was a "girl thing" while Luffy stayed back and tried to cheer her up. He plopped his head next to hers, the rim of his straw hat flattened out under the weight of his head. He stared at her teary face, the familiar smile was gone. Tani opened her eyes and looked into his own, for the second time today she felt like her soul was being analysed by these people who for all she knows could be figments of her imagination.

He sat back up and readjusted his hat onto his head. Tani stayed laying there, looking up at Luffy who kept his eyes on her. He pat her back in a comforting manner, the tears poured out of her eyes faster. What had he gained? Did he see something in her eyes? Tani felt so confused, and at this point was about ready to jump off the boat again.

"Luffy! Tanisha! I've got Nami!" Usopp informed, Nami came down quickly. She placed her hand gently onto Tani's forehead and let out a sigh, turning to quickly smack Luffy upside the head. "you idiot! Can't you tell she's got a fever?" she scolded, Tani flinched. It was a headache before? When did it become a fever?

"Luffy can you carry her into my cabin, she needs to rest." Nami directed, walking away to what was assumed to be the room she had mentioned. Luffy did as told, Tani once again questioned his claims of being the captain of the ship... As well questioning his insane strength! For someone with very little muscle, this guy was carrying her like she was a sack of rice. He rushed her to the room, which Nami promptly kicked him out of.

Nami approached the semi-conscious Tani, and began removing her clothes without being too intrusive. They were still wet from her dive into the water. Chilling her to the bone, Nami removed everything except her underwear and redressed her in a long shirt.

Covering the feverish girl in a blanket, Nami left the room. Luffy and Usopp were standing around the front of the room, worry present in both boys faces. Nami leaned against the wall, "she's got a fever, most likely from when she jumped into the ocean. She'll be fine if you stay quiet and let her sleep it off," Luffy let out a breath and wiped at his forehead, approaching the door to keep Tanisha company. Only to get a Nami special upside the head for the third time today.

"what the heck was that for?" he pouted, Nami tapped her foot against the ground and pointed at the door. "nobody is allowed past that door, got it? She needs rest, not any more stress than she's already under right now," Nami shoved both boys out of the doors range, Luffy protested the whole time. Remembering the look of loneliness she had in her teary eyes, he clenched his hands in determination to make her feel better. Starting with that fever.

Tani tossed and turned in her sleep, springing forward violently in shock. The contents of her dream a mystery to her now, her concerns however were held with the fact that she was still in the cabin like room on the boat, not home with her family. Her breath hitched at the thought of her family being sad, and scared over her missing body. Tani pulled her knees closer and sobbed into them, now noticing the long shirt that didn't belong to her, that she was wearing. Some what recalling Nami undressing and redressing her, some of her concerns now washing away with a sigh.

Soft breathing was heard from across the room, Tani turned to see Nami sleeping in the bed on the other side of the room. She looked so peaceful, like all that anger she had pent up was gone. Tani pushed herself out of bed and made her way out the door, her bag lazily slung over her shoulder. When she entered the outside, the cold breeze brushed against her exposed skin. She opened her bag in hopes of finding her windbreaker, and as luck would have it she pulled it out and tossed it over her body. The wind having less impact against her. Her legs carried her towards the head of the ship, which was shaped as a ram's or sheep's head. It felt like that spot in particular was off limits, she wandered around the deck a bit more before settling herself against the mast. A roll up found itself in her hand, a small comfort she had from home.

"what's that?" a voice asked, startling the unaware girl who dropped the half eaten treat onto the ground. She looked up to find Luffy staring down at her. He sat down cross-legged beside her, hands resting in his knees. Tani relaxed and picked up the roll up off the ground and continued eating it. Luffy looked at it, Tani reached into her bag and pulled out a roll up for him. He took it and mimicked Tani in unwrapping it and without thinking shoved the whole thing in his mouth. Tani looked stunned, before laughing out loud. Luffy laughed with her, the night was calming and peaceful. Tani looked up at the cloudy night sky, not many stars were present.

"I'm so confused, about everything right now," Tani began, Luffy didn't respond but she could tell he was listening, "I don't know where I am, why I'm here, all that jazz." she pressed herself against the mast, hands pulling the windbreaker closer. "and now I'm stuck on a boat in the middle of the sea, with strangers." her face lowered into her propped up knees as everything sank in.

"well why don't we just take you home?" Luffy suggested, Tani lifted her head to look his way. He wasn't facing her, "Nami is the best navigator in the whole East Blue, I'm sure she can find your island," he grinned, Tani blinked a few times, her face settled in a solemn smile. Tani turned her gaze back to the cloudy night sky, a weight had been lifted from her shoulders for now.

Tani stood up and turned to walk away, before leaving she turned to Luffy and smiled sweetly. "thank you, not many people would be this kind to a stranger, let alone one that magically teleported onto their boat,". Luffy laughed, standing up and holding out his hand. Tani looked at it, then realized he wanted a hand shake. She held it, and boy did he have a strong grip.

"we're friends aren't we?" he questioned merrily, Tani looked stunned. Her hold loosened in his, but his grip didn't falter. Her breath hitched for the second time that day, today was just full of surprises for her. Luffy laughed at her reaction. He pulled her closer and draped his free arm over her shoulder, letting go of her hand.

"you... You already consider me a friend?" Tani asked, "but you don't even know me, for all you know. I could be the worst person in the world,". The arm around her shoulders pulled her closer, Luffy's grin shined in the moonlight.

"no way! You're awesome!" he sounded so carefree, "you saved me from drowning and showed me cool tricks with your yo-yo thing! Would an enemy ever do that?" he reasoned. Tani giggled at his childish reasoning skills. She shook her head to answer him.

"then it's settled! You're my friend," he declared, Tani looked at him in awe. Hearing it be said, hearing that she was considered a friend. It wasn't a foreign saying, but every other time someone had muttered it out to her in the past. It never felt as genuine and heartfelt as it did when the childish straw hatted pirate captain (who had met her less than 24 hours ago) said it. A wobbly smile appeared on her face while joyful tears raced down her cheeks. "thank you," she cried. Luffy pulled her even closer, until their cheeks were pressed against each other and laughed, Tani laughed with him.

Nami stood by the entrance to the main deck, watching as Luffy and Tani laughed together. A soft smile graced her face, though she wasn't keen on the girls attitude and didn't trust her as far as she could throw her. It felt like a dose of Luffy would be good for her. Nami turned away and walked back to bed, trusting that the idiot captain would be more than capable of defending himself if she flipped out on him.

Morning rolled around, the bright summer sun shone it's rays onto the crew standing outside discussing what to do with the mystery girl. Nami pulled out a map of the world and laid it on the ground, motioning for Tani to look at it. The girl was confused at the sight of the map.

"this can't be it," Tani muttered to herself, looking closer at the unfamiliar map. Terror struck in her eyes. Luffy looked at the map, then back at the shaking girl. "what's wrong?" he asked her, she remained silent. Usopp and Nami exchanged a look of confusion while Zoro stayed out of it. Tani shook her head in denial, this couldn't be the map, where's America?... Europe?... Asia? ...Australia?! Come on anywhere familiar! This can't be happening! Where am I going to go?! I can't find home!

A finger pressed against her cheek, snapping her out of her cloudy thoughts. She turned to find Luffy with a concerned pout, his finger squishing into her cheek further. "what's wrong?" he repeated, she stared into his eyes then looked back at the map. As if that would change the contents on the map... It didn't.

She looked back at him and sighed, "this map... Makes no sense to me, this isn't familiar at all," she looked defeated. "I can't go home,". Tani clenched her fists so tight that they whitened ever so slightly, jaw clenched at the reality of the situation. That heavy weight that had been lifted, now slammed back down with double the pressure.

Nami looked at the map, this was a world map. How could Tani not find her island? It was like she wasn't from this world at all. That wasn't possible was it? "maybe you just can't find the island, what's it called? I'll find it," Nami suggested, Tanisha looked at the redhead with a defeated frown.

"can you find Atlanta on the map? Anywhere at all?" Tani questioned, turning her gaze to the deck. Nami looked over the map, Usopp and Luffy peeked over her shoulder to help with the search... Nothing even remotely came close to the name, Nami checked over the map again to see if she missed any spots. Nothing.

"well what are we gonna do about her?" Zoro chimed in, now seeming somewhat interested in the turn of events. "we could just drop her off at the next island and hope for the best?" Usopp suggested, Nami crossed her arms and shook her head. "for all we know, she knows nothing about this world. Adapting would be pretty difficult." she stated. While the crew discussed her fate, Tani shuffled herself away from the group. She felt lost. Like there was no way to comprehend the situation at all and that's what scared her the most.

"We aren't leaving her behind," Luffy stated in a demanding tone, everyone's attention fell onto the captain. "she's my friend, friends don't leave each other behind," he turned his head to look at her, held a thumbs up and comforting smile her way. Tani's eyes widened, a blooming happiness erupted in her chest. 

"well what are we going to do then? She's not even part of the crew," Nami asked, a slight smirk on her lips. Luffy's eyes widened at the realisation.

"Tani! Join my crew!" he asked... More like demanded, the stunned girl smiled and shook her head while waving her hands in front of her.

"thanks Luffy, I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to be a bur-" she started, but was silenced when Luffy sling shot himself over to her and pulled her in for a side hug.

"great! Guys we have our 5th crew member!" he cheered, Tani was still stunned by the stretching arms thing and sudden contact. Finally reality caught up with her and she shook her head. "look Luffy, really it's cool you want me on the crew but I'm not cut out for pirate... Stuff?" she mumbled.

"sure you are!" he rebutted, Tani tried to remove his arm from her shoulders... Tried. Honestly the guys strength was insane! "Luffy, please listen. I don't want to be a burden on your crew-" she protested, but she was cut off by Nami this time.

"there's really no point in arguing with him, he's as stubborn as a rock, I would know..." she huffed. Luffy chuckled, pumping his free arm in the air while cheering about his new crew member.

The past few hours have been some of the most conflicting and confusing in Tanisha's entire life. On one hand, she was grateful for Luffy being so insistent that she join his crew, but on the other hand... She really didn't see what she had to offer for this crew. She couldn't do much, except yo-yo tricks and swimming to save drowning captains. Tani really wanted to accept his offer willingly, but something in the back of her mind held her back. Than again she didn't really have a choice because Luffy couldn't take no for an answer.

"now that you're part of my crew, my first order as your captain is for you to show me more yo-yo tricks," he declared, Tani's face went blank, then she burst into a fit of giggles. Nodding in agreement. Luffy let go of her shoulders and jumped for joy, Usopp and Nami shook their heads at the idiot captain's shenanigans. Zoro as usual, ignored everyone and took a nap.

"I'll go get my yo-yos then, captain Luffy," she mock saluted and ran for the girls cabin to grab them. When she was out of sight, Nami turned to Luffy. "she's nakama now huh," Nami questioned. Luffy looked at her with determination, nodding. Nami smiled softly then walked away to check on the ships steering.

Tani reached her bag, a grin on her face. She couldn't stop smiling and it felt great. Her eyes fell onto the roller blades tied to the sides of the bag, a sparkle in her eyes gleamed as the idea of showing off her roller blading skills to her new friend... Friend.... Friend! That's right! Luffy's her friend now! She untied the bindings to her blades, slipped them on and secured them. Slipping on two yo-yo strings, one on each hand. She zoomed out the cabin door towards the deck.

The wooden decks created a smooth surface for the expert teen to glide on. Passing the door that lead to the deck, she was greeted with the surprised and excited expressions of Luffy and Usopp, who watched in amazement as she rolled around the deck to show off. She even earned an eyebrow quirk from Zoro... Who lost interest pretty quickly. Tani slowed down, rolling in front of the excited boys and began spinning the yo-yos faster.

"we ready?" she directed to them, Luffy hollered with great enthusiasm, Usopp pumped his arms in the air. Tani moved her arms around to perform some basic tricks while messing around with her footwork in the blades. Luffy and Usopp watched with complete focus on the spinning orbs that danced around the skilled girl. After a couple of tricks, she stopped and took a bow, her breathing much heavier than it normally was. Usopp clapped and Luffy cheered even louder.

"thank you, you've been a wonderful audience, I think... I think I need to lay down for a bit. All this excitement has made me dizzy," Tani chuckled tiredly, she went to make a move, but became light headed and started falling towards the deck. Not before Luffy and Usopp broke her fall. Her eyes were closed, as if she had fallen asleep. Usopp panicked slightly, his legs bounced around frantically. Luffy kept a secure grip around her waist, resting one of her arms over his shoulder to keep her held up comfortably.

Usopp placed a hand on her forehead and retracted quickly, "her fever is still there," he hummed, Luffy frowned. He'd forgotten about that. "we should take her back to the girls cabin, let her sleep it off," Usopp suggested, Luffy agreed and together they gently carried her into the girls cabin, resting her on one of the beds. "I'll go get Nami, she'll know what to do," Usopp stated, leaving Luffy behind to watch over Tani.

Tani's eyes fluttered open, the wooden ceiling of the cabin filled her vision. A sigh left her breath, attempting to push herself up. Only for two hands to push her back down. Her head turned to see a frowning Luffy.

"Nami said you need to rest," he instructed, his voice held an air of authority that honestly left Tani a bit shocked to hear. He was usually so care free.

Tani didn't really dwell on that though, "how long you been here?" she asked him, that frown flipped into a sweet smile. "dunno," he replied. "I wanted to keep you company,". Tani felt a smile creep up her face, it was like Luffy had this charm that would lighten up anyone's mood.

"so what were those awesome shoes with the wheels?" he leaned closer to the bed. "oh? You mean the roller blades?" she questioned, Luffy nodded. "yeah those! They were so awesome!" he was super excited about them, his arms held high in the air. Tani let out a little giggle, her eyes staring at his arms.

"Luffy," she called, he turned his attention back to her. "it wouldn't be rude to ask about your arms would it?". He looked at his arms, inspecting them.

"what's wrong with my arms?" he asked. She waved her hands in front of her, "oh! It's just. You see. Yesterday," she started, "when I was in the water, your arms went all long and stretchy." she made motions with her hands, mimicking an octopus, more than Luffy. He looked back at his arms, the gears clicking in his head. Realisation sparked in his eyes. "oh yeah! I ate the gum gum fruit," he hooked a finger in his mouth and pulled at his cheek, it stretched as if it was a piece of elastic. He unhooked the finger and his cheek slapped back into place, "I'm a rubber man," he grinned.

"rubber man? Wait! So your whole body does that stretchy thing?" she questioned, he nodded his head. She held her chin in thought, "that's so weird, how does that even work?" her head started to churn question, after question. Luffy shrugged, he honestly had no idea how it worked, he just knew that it did.

"Luffy!" the voice of Nami called from the other side of the door. The boy jumped from his seat and rushed to the door, Nami walked into the room with a plate of food. A grumble filled the room, Tani clenched at her stomach in embarrassment. Luffy went to grab the food, but Nami slammed a fist into his head. Sending him straight to the ground. She walked over to Tani and handed her the plate. It was a simple dish, some bread and sliced meat, with an apple to the side. Tanisha whispered a quick thank you, which Nami nodded in response to. She walked out of the room, dragging Luffy out by the foot.

The room was silent, Tani dug into the meal. Feeling her hunger leave her with every bite. She hadn't noticed how hungry she was, until that food was brought in. Maybe it was because of the stress, or her thoughts being elsewhere. Whatever it was, her headache had began to fade. A smile still spread on her face, at the conversation she shared with her friend.


	3. It's All Fun And Game's Until Someone Is Launched Off The Boat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Straw Hats encounter a pair of bounty hunters, and realise they need a cook for the crew.

"hey Usopp! There's a rock we could practice the canon with!" Luffy called out to Usopp, pointing at the rock that was coming into view. Usopp rushed over to Luffy, and looked at the massive rock that was protruding from the ocean depths. Tani was sitting on the deck, her legs dangling from between the railing. She didn't feel as sick as before, but her head still felt irritated so Nami ordered that she take it easy. The salty ocean breeze was doing wonders in relaxing her. She looked towards the canon that Luffy and Usopp were crowding around, then her gaze moved to the huge rock.

"I betcha I can hit that rock from all the way over here," Usopp declared, Luffy's eyes sparkled with admiration towards the sniper. Tani smirked

"Oi Usopp! If you hit the rock, I'll give you ten bucks!" she challenged. Usopp gave her a quizzical look, "what's a buck?" Usopp asked, Luffy turned his attention to Tani as well.

Tani looked back at them in confusion, "money... It's money, you know that thing you use to exchange for stuff,". Luffy and Usopp exchanged a look, before Usopp spoke up. "are you talking about berri's?"

"why would you exchange fruit for other stuff, people can grow berries!" both boys and Tani were more confused than they had been before this whole conversation. Tani got up from her spot and walked over to the boys, shoving her hand into her bag to pull out her wallet and show off a $10 bill to them. Usopp grabbed it from her and inspected it, Luffy pulled it out of Usopp's hands and looked over it.

"I've never seen a berri that looks like this before," Usopp stated, Tani sighed at the realization that she was pretty much broke in this world. She went to grab the bill from Luffy, but he didn't seem to want to give it back yet, his brain inspecting and processing what it was. Tani just let him have it, it was useless to her at the moment anyway. "so about that canon?" she motioned between the rock and the canon. Usopp snapped back to the canon, flipping his goggles down to focus on the target. Luffy and Tani watched the marksman ready his shot, a drop of sweat trailed down his forehead before...

Bang! The canon roared, propelling a canon ball across the sea. The ball hit the rock and practical destroyed the thing. Luffy laughed in excitement, praising Usopp for his masterful skills. Tani's gaze was looked on the space the rock once stood proud and strong. Nami came running out to the deck, "what was that noise? What did you idiots do?" she scolded, as if she was a mum telling off her kids. Tani huffed and walked back to her spot. Wanting to avoid the wrath of Nami. She allowed her legs to dangle with the breeze against the side of the boat. Zoning out for a moment or two.

"Hey Tani!!" Luffy called out, waving his whole arm in her direction. He was standing by Usopp, designing the skull and cross bones thing that pirates always have. She waved back but didn't move. Turning her attention back to the... Small boat speeding it's way over to their location. Sandles smacked on the deck as Luffy ran over to Tani, her attention still on the boat.

"Tani! Hey Tani look at the-" Luffy started, before being rudely interrupted by the angry shouts of a man who had just boarded the boat, welding a sword and shades. He looked as if he'd been crying. He pointed his sword at Luffy and began relentlessly attacking the guy.

Tani watched in awe, Luffy bounced and dodged the man's thoughtless swings. Luffy clasped his upper arm and rolled it, preparing to make the switch from defence to offence. "Gum Gum!" Luffy shouted, his entire arm having stretched out so far it left the length of the boat. Tani's eyes were wide with curiosity and disbelief. This was definitely one of, if not the strangest fights she had ever witnessed... And she had seen and been in some weird fights back home.

"Oi? Johnny is that you?" the sound of a laid back Zoro called out to the stranger. The guy looked up at the green haired swords man and looked dumbfounded, "Big bro Zoro?!" he cried. Turning his attention away from the fight with the straw hatted pirate. Luffy didn't seem to notice the conversation though...

"Pistol!" he shouted, his arm flying at an incredibly fast speed directly towards the unsuspecting stranger. Tani didn't know why she moved to the man's defence. Maybe she felt bad that he wasn't paying attention? Or she was a dumbass. But her legs sprang her towards the man who was now talking with Zoro. Her arms out stretched, she palms forcefully pushed the man out of the firing range... Leaving her body to now being slammed by the powerful blow Luffy had launched. The ground left her as she sailed through the air, a pain erupted in her left side from taking the blow. The brown deck had now been replaced with the deep blue sea.

She braced to break the surface of the ocean, but in the knick of time she felt a familiar rubber limb snake around her abdomen and haul her back into the deck with a loud thwump. The wind knocked out of her, Tani decided to just lay on the deck for a while, just to give her brain the time it needed to process what the hell just happened. Luffy hovered over her for a moment in a panic, before Usopp and Nami pulling him away to give Tani some space to breath.

"so what brings you here Johnny?" Zoro asked casually, as if the whole 'Tani getting punched into the horizon thing' never happened. Johnny went on a huge rant about being attacked by the canon we shot at the rock he was resting on with his sick friend Yosaku. This friend still being on the little boat belonging to the two. Tani sat up and instantly felt the horrible bruise starting to form on her side from Luffy's punch. Both her hands clasped at her left as a hiss passed through her clenched teeth.

Zoro and Johnny went to grab Yosaku from the boat below, the rest of the straw hat pirates went to check on Tani. Luffy panicked and apologised profusely. Nami crouched down to access the damage, concluding that nothing was broken and thus she would survive. Nami left to go check on Yosaku who looked like he was on the brink of death. Nami examined the man's health and with a sigh she turned to Luffy and Usopp and commanded that they bring out the limes from storage, and fast! In a flurry of limbs, the boys rushed through the door. Soon returning with barrels of limes... Why there were so many limes? Tani didn't want to ask. They dropped the limes all over Yosaku, Nami shoved the boys away. Pulling out a small pocket knife and cutting one of the fruits in half, squeezing the juice into the man's agape mouth.

Tani stared at the once sick man, fling himself upright and cheer as if he wasn't just dying not even a nanosecond ago. Happily dancing shoulder by shoulder with Johnny, who was relieved to see his comrade in good health. Tani gave a soft smile at the display, they were so happy in one anothers company.

The shuffling of feet scuttling towards her grabbed her attention. Luffy looked over her with a frown, his head held low. "sorry for hitting you," he apologised again, Tani waved her hand at him, a forgiving smile on her face.

"it's fine, you didn't know I was going to be there. It's my own stupid fault for jumping in the way," she laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood, which worked since Luffy's frown lifted into a wide grin.

Tani pulled herself up off the ground, she wobbled a bit thanks to the lingering pain. Luckily Luffy's shoulder was close enough for her to grab for stability.

"come to think of it," Nami spoke aloud, a hand curled around her chin in thought. "this ship would need a cook if it wants any chance of surviving the grand line," she pondered to nobody in particular. Johnny stopped his dancing and turned to face her. "a cook you say? Bro Yosaku and I know a place you could go to recruit a cook," he chimed, Nami turned to face him, "there's a restaurant that floats around the east blue. I've heard that the chefs there are tough as nails," he finished, crossing his arms.

A restaurant on the sea? Now that's something you don't hear everyday. Then again, back home there weren't real pirates anymore. There would be no need for a sea based restaurant... Unless it was a publicity thing, than everyone would be all over that. Nami left with Johnny and Yosaku to start the trip to the floating restaurant.

Tani decided to go back to relaxing in the spot she claimed as her own. To her slight surprise, Luffy followed her. She plopped herself down onto the deck, legs hanging from between the railing as it had been before the arrival of johnny and Yosaku. Luffy followed closely and plopped right beside her, his legs swinging. He looked at the left side of Tani, a worried frown returned to his face. Tani had forgiven him, but he still felt really bad for hurting his friend. She turned to him, a comforting smile still on her face. Her hand held out a fruit roll up towards him, he lost that frown and grinned while shoving the snack into his mouth. Tani snickered, her eyes returning to the sea.

"where I live, the ocean is so far away. It takes a long time to get there." she spoke aloud, Luffy much like the night before, didn't look at her but she knew he was listening. "sometimes... My mum and... Dad..." she lingered slightly, "uh, they would plan a trip to the beach during summer break. We would all spend hours swimming in the crystal clear water, and chase crabs around the beach," she spoke fondly of her memories. Closing her eyes in relaxation, she leaned back until her back laid on the ground. Hands behind her head as the sunshine warmed her skin. A wave of nostalgia from when she would relax on the sandy beach and take a nap, washed over her.

The thump of the straw hat captain's back laying on the deck to her left, drew her away from that nostalgia. She turned her head to look at him, he looked so at home. A happiness washed over Tani at the sight of Luffy, her first real friend. Seeing him so happy, filled her with an overwhelming feeling, that she couldn't really describe. Closing her eyes for the final time, the numb pain in her side, the lingering headache from the first day of her arrival, and the warm sunshine that blanketed her into a sense of comfort. All combined into the perfect recipe for an afternoon nap, which she happily fell into.

Luffy cupped his cheeks, leaning on his elbows, and looked at the peaceful face of Tani. She was quite the mystery girl. A mystery that he was excited to uncover.

"Oi! Luffy" Zoro called out to the boy in question, Luffy bounced to his feet and ran towards his first crew member with a jolly expression. "Nami says it'll take about half the day to get to the place, she also asked how Tani is holding up," the swordsman informed, Luffy looked back at the napping girl.

"she's tougher than she looks," Zoro commented, crossing his arms, leaning forward on the rails near the stairs. Luffy nodded in agreement, "think she'll actually stay on the crew?" the swordsman asked, Luffy hummed at the question.

"of course she will! She agreed," Luffy huffed, as if Zoro had asked the most stupid question imaginable. "she's nakama now," Luffy grinned. The swordsman smirked and turned away to find a spot to have a nap.

...

"guys! Look I can see the ship! Woah!" the shrill cheering of Luffy filled the ears of everyone on the ship. Tani snorted awake at the loud cheering, a loud yawn erupted from her. The rest of the crew plus the tag alongs looked on in awe at the floating restaurant. Tani stared at the ships surrounding the vessel, the main ship looked much like a cruise ship with a pirate flare. A lite laugh filled with childish amazement bloomed within her, it felt like watching a Saturday morning cartoon.

"hey! Who's the captain?" an annoyingly pompous voice called from far away. The crew turned their attention to a pink haired man with a brass knuckle in his hand. His boat was side by side with theirs. Usopp pointed at himself, declaring himself captain much to the annoyance of Luffy, who pushed the liar aside and informed the pink haired man that he was the captain.

"Johnny and Yosaku? Did you guys become pirates? How unfortunate," the pink haired man stated at the two extras, both of which shouted at the man in denial. Johnny dropped a stack of papers on the ground that Tani hadn't seen him holding up until now. Nami walked over to help pick them up, her grasp on one of the papers seemed to linger longer, but nobody noticed.

"ugh, it doesn't really matter, this pirate ship is really ruining my mood," pink hair scoffed, flicking his wrist at the boat as if it was a sight for sore eyes. "sink it!" he called to the many copy paste men in white uniforms. All of which saluted and ran into position.

"sink it?!" Tani and Usopp panicked, Luffy and Zoro took on a battle stance. Zoro had his hands clasped around his sheathed swords, while Luffy tightened his hat and bore a fearless grin. The uniformed men surrounded a canon, lit the fuse and aimed right for the mast. Kabang! The canon fired, the crew froze as the ball sailed towards the only means of movement for the ship.

Luffy jumped into action, his arms stretched out to create a net in a weird sorta way. The ball collided into his torso with a great force, so much so that Luffy lost grip of the railing his left hand was holding. Turning his body to face the restaurant... And redirecting the canon ball into the bright red roof of the restaurant. Everyone on the ship stared in horror. The pink haired guy having left pirates to clean the mess he started.

Once the boat docked, Luffy made a B-line for the owner so he could apologise for the damages he had caused. Leaving the rest of the crew to do who knows what. Nami turned to the crew and beamed, "well... Why don't we eat?" she suggested, motioning to the entrance. Tani smiled as they all walked through the door's into the marvellous floor room. Tani had worked as a waitress before at some local cafes, but she hadn't ever seen such a wonderful place like this. The owner must have poured heaps of love and time into this establishment and it showed.

"Tani?" Usopp clicked his fingers in front of her spaced out eyes. She snapped back to reality and followed her crew to the front so they could be seated. Zoro scoffed, his gaze landing on the pink haired jerk that tried to sink them only moments ago. Laughing and enjoying himself with his lady friend. Tani pat him on the back and shook her head, her wild locks of curly hair bobbed with her. "he's not worth it man..." she commented, distaste in her eyes at the thought of that asswipe being let off the hook. But as mumma always said, "karma will catch up with him," she stated, the green haired man looked confused but didn't press further questions.

A man in a chef's uniform sent the crew to a table, which confused the dark skinned girl. "where's all the waiting staff?" she pondered aloud, Nami turned her gaze around and observed the same. "best not to question it," Nami waved it off. Taking a seat at the table and looking through the menu, as did the others. Tani pulled herself up to grab some glasses and a jug of water for the table. When a commotion caught her attention.

"Stop mocking me!" the pink haired jackass shouted at the blonde man standing before his table. The blonde guy in Tani's opinion looked much more like a waiter than other men running around taking orders. Though his cigarette would most definitely have been a health code violation in any other establishment.

The pink haired guy raised his brass knuckles fist and brought it down on the table. The food went flying, as did the lady friend who tried to calm him down. The waiter crouched over the spilled soup.

"this soup took 3 days and nights to prepare... It was perfectly fine, you could have just taken the fly out..." he sounded pained having to say that. Tani inched closer. The pink haired guy continued to berate the man.

The blonde trembled in a visable rage, one of his legs lifting high into the air and slamming into the pink man's face, knocking him onto the floor. The patrons of the restaurant all gasped at the display. Tani clutched the six's glasses she had stacked atop one another in her hand, the satisfaction of karma being a bitch formed a smug grin on her round face. She struggled to hold back the cheer that formed in her throat.

"do you know who I am?!" the man sprawled on the ground growled, a hidden hint of panic underlined his words. "I'm lieutenant Fullbody of the Marines!" he pounded his fist into the ground. The blonde guy puffed a cloud of smoke, "I don't care, you wasted food," he huffed. Tani had to hold back a snicker, wishing that she could have done this sorta thing to annoying and rude customers back home. This blonde was every waitress/ waiters dream!

A pair of cooks came out of the kitchen and made their way over to the blonde. The larger of the two punched the blonde and scolded him for his actions. The blonde jumped up and started yelling at the chef who hit him. Tani turned her attention back to her crew and the waters she was grabbing for them. Balancing the massive tower of glasses in one hand, and the huge jug of water in the other. She placed them all on the table, handing them out to her crew.

"f-f-food... Please... Food," the raspy groans of a man flat on his face begged from the entrance of the restaurant. The blonde and his coworkers stopped bickering, the large man that hit the blonde walked over to the starved man and asked if he had any Berri, which he didn't... And promptly laughed in his face and kicked him out. Him and the second chef walked back into the kitchen. The blonde let his gaze rest on the door, he narrowed his curly brow in distaste and walked into the kitchen as well.

The crew ordered what they wanted to eat, Nami reluctant to spend any money on the others. Tani decided she would order something small and cheap, a fruit parfait. She was a sucker for fruits and sweets so she couldn't resist the temptation. Maybe Nami would lend her some berri... 

The crew talked among themselves, talking about past adventures such as their encounter with a pirate captain named Kuro, who wanted to take the life of a rich girl named Kaya in order to have her money. Kaya is the one who gave the straw hats their ship. Usopp kept on talking about his many other adventures that all seemed to be tall tales in Tani's opinion, but exciting to listen to none the less.

"my oh my," a very flirty voice spoke up. Tani turned her attention to the very same blonde who had just kicked Fullbody's ass a while ago. He was looking between both Nami and herself, while balancing the many meals along his arms.

"what beauties we have here this fine afternoon," he complimented, placing the dishes down down before the crew. The colourful parfait being gently placed in front of Tani, he eyes wide with hunger and joy at the sweet treat.

She turned to face the blonde who was hovering behind her, "this looks amazing," she beamed, "tell the chef who made it that it's the best I've ever seen!" he looked at her with great pride,

"why thank you for the compliment, such an honour from such a lovely woman," he cooed, a bright blush formed on her cheeks. Compliments weren't really a thing that Tani would receive (excluding family memebers). She grabbed the spoon and dug in, the flavour was even better than the presentation. Good God if they had to hire a chef could it please be this guy!

He flirted with Nami, who didn't seem to really notice or care. Instead trying to scam for a free meal, which the guy decided would be perfectly fine for the women. The men at the table groaned and complained at the blonde who death glared them, before turning back to complimenting Nami and Tani.

A pair of hands found the shoulders of Tani, causing her to squeak. She turned to find it was only Luffy staring at all the food they ordered without him. He complained, while grabbing the spoon from Tani's hand and shoving it into his mouth. The blonde swiftly kicked the captain, launching him into the ground. The crew stared at their captain, who recovered quickly and smiled wide.

"oh hey! Guys this is Sanji, he's gonna be our chef!" Luffy declared, Tani clasped her hands together with joy. Had a God actually answered her prayers. Sanji slammed his leg into Luffy again, "I am not! Joining your crew," he groaned. Turning to leave the table, not before biding Nami and Tani a loving farewell.

Luffy scanned the table, his grabby hands ready to take food from everyone's plates. Tani had yet to witness the beast that is Luffy when he's hungry, a beast often fought off by the collective efforts of the straw hat crew. Tani's food unfortunately was not spared, Luffy shoved the whole parfait into his mouth. The girl stared at him, then back at the glass that was now empty. A solemn expression on her face, though it was free for her, she would feel bad asking for another.

"Luffy! Get your own!" Nami shouted as he stretched his arms to grab at her plate, she swatted at his hands like a lion tamer whipping at the lions during a circus performance. "yea Luffy!" Usopp complained, when Luffy grabbed some meat off his plate and consumed it.

"Oi chore boy!" came the angry shouts of one of the chefs with the greatest braided beard that Tani had ever witnessed. The guy looked like a Viking! And he had a peg leg!

"quit harassing the customers and get back to work," the man grumbled. Tani looked at Luffy in question, only now noticing the apron around his waist. "chore boy? Why you working here?" Zoro questioned, Luffy grinned. "I gotta work off the big hole I put in the roof," he turned back to the bearded man,

"he says it's for a whole year but I can't do that," he grinned. The man huffed, "you broke it, you pay for it. That's a year's wages right there," the man crossed his arms with a grumpy and tired huff.

Tani thought to herself for a moment, she has experience in the field of hospitality. She coughed to grab the old chefs attention, "how about I swap places with Luffy, I have experience as a waitress. Since you don't seem to have any wait staff," she suggested, the crew gawked at the girl. The older man looked at the girl with his intimidating gaze, she stood up from the table and looked back with determination. She didn't really have a place on the ships crew anyway, Luffy did.

"fine, you can swap with chore boy... Kid was more of a hassle than he was helpful," the man crossed his arms and motioned for the girl to follow him. Leaving her stunned friends behind, even Luffy seemed stumped on what the heck just happened. Tani swapped spots with him, meaning that he wasn't going to stay for a year.. But Tani was!

"Aight boys listen up!" Zeff shouted, the kitchen went quiet. "chore boy has been replaced with this young lady, so you need anything cleaned or served just ask her." he announced, handing her an apron to tie around her waist, similar to Luffy's one. She put it on and walked straight to the dishes, grabbing the wash cloths and scrubbed away. The kitchen started up again after having a moment to witness the girl get straight to work, they hadn't had a girl working on the Baratie for quite a while. Sanji recognised the girl as the one who enjoyed his parfait, he frowned at the thought of her having to do such dirty work.

"Oi! Girly, can you run this to table 14!" Patty, who was one of the chefs from earlier called out, holding up three plates. Tani nodded and ran over. Collecting the plates and walking out the door, now where is table 14? She looked around the room but couldn't see any table numbers. She wanted to slap her forehead but she had plates of food to hold. Her best bet was to look for tables with three people or more.

Sanji looked out the window on the kitchen door to find the girl looking around confused. His heart ached at such a display, he pushed open the door and called for her attention, she sighed with relief,

"hey Sanji, I have no idea how the table number system works, which one is 14?" she sheepishly laughed, Sanji felt his cheeks warm at the heavenly sound of her voice. He pointed at the table, and offered to take the plates, but she had already made her way towards the table. He looked at her with admiration, such a strong women, to take on the burden of that shitty chore boy.

"Sanji! Get your ass back in the kitchen!" Patty shouted, the blonde puffed another cloud of smoke, before entering the kitchen.


	4. Yes I Am Using My Plastic Yo-yo Toys As A Weapon! You Got A- Oh He's On Fire Now!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today we discover that pirates can be jerks :) and that the author of this story is unable to write a good fighting scene hahaa

"Girly! Plates for table 16 and 24 are ready!" one of the chefs called out, it had been four days since the straw hats had boarded the Baratie. However they refused to leave without Tani on the ship, much to the girls protests. Tani only swapped with Luffy so that the straw hats could make a run for it. But Luffy refused to let her stay behind because she was Nakama, which is a term Tani had never heard before. She would have to ask about that one when her shift ended for the day.

The staff on the Baratie were quite the strange bunch, apparently the Baratie was notorious for the fact that the staff was willing to beat the ever loving daylights out of customers if they disrespected the food, ship or workers. It was something that Tani found great but scary at the same time, hell she had already seen some guy get his ass handed to him by Sanji on her first day.

Sanji had been a great help in getting her settled in, though he disapproved of her "selfless action" as he worded it, to swap with Luffy. Tani didn't want to argue with her only real friend on the Baratie.

He would spend his free time showing her the ropes, such as table numbers and other tasks. Sanji himself was like an 11/10 on the chivalry scale, he would constantly pop up out of nowhere and offer to do (sometimes even take over) tasks that were given to her, even though he was one of the higher ranked chefs. Tani would protest but the man was as stubborn as a rock, but she appreciated how much he cared. He would treat her to many deserts after shifts or breaks (all of which were amazing!). Sanji was a god sent, even if he became over baring when interacting with women, he was always willing to help Tani out when the others would flat out ignore her.

It was the afternoon on day four, the day started out pretty normal. The straw hats came in to have lunch, and greet Tani. Who had now begun severing customers via roller blade. She felt like one of those 60s diner girls with the retro clothes and skates, but hell if it wasn't a more efficient method of transport. Zeff even praised her skills at service, which was the highlight of her day.

"Tani, come back," Luffy complained, the top half of his body sprawled out on the top of table. Much to the annoyance of the crew, who all had to lift their plates.

"you should know that I can't do that Luffy," Tani responded, "after all, I'm repaying your debt," she ended. Placing a plate before Luffy, the captain stopped complaining and shoved the plate into his mouth. Tani snorted at the sight, before waving at the crew and skating back into the kitchen to continue working.

"how long until we leave?" Usopp questioned, the crew members glanced back at their captain, who had just spat out the plate. He looked at everyone with confusion, "well? Are we going to stay much longer, or will we wait?" Usopp asked. Luffy looked hard at his crew,

"we aren't leaving without Tani and Sanji," he declared.

Nami rolled her eyes. She knew for a fact that the idiot would be too stubborn to leave without those two. Her patience was running dry, she couldn't be caught lollygagging when she had important business to attend to. The folded page of Arlongs wanted poster crumpled under the red heads tight and angered grip. Soon she might need to take some... Drastic measures.

The front entrance door burst open, the cries of a man's voice filled with panic and desperation, alerted the staff of a new arrival. Tani skated her way over to find the same man who had been starving only days ago, only this time he held a man on his shoulder who looked to be twice his height and weight. Tani approached, but a hand was held in front of her. Sanji had stopped her, stepping forward to confront the new arrivals.

"Sanji, please... He's starving," the smaller of the two begged the blonde. The larger man slumped off the smaller, and bowed his head and begged, "My fleet won't attack, I swear!" his voice hoarse and starved. Pity and guilt filled Tani. Patty and the other chefs on the other hand all scoffed at the display, well except for Sanji and Zeff.

Tani balled her fists at the chefs and turned to them, "are you serious?! They're begging! Are you really going to let these guys die at your doorstep?!" she yelled, surprise present at the unexpected volume of her voice. Patty narrowed his eyes at the girl and pointed at the large man who was still bowing.

"I would let the likes of Don Krieg rot, he's a danger to the entire East Blue!" he snapped back. Silence reigned over the room, whispers and murmurs of the name Don Krieg popped up here and there. However that name meant nothing to Tani, she had no idea who he was.

Tani went to clap back at him, but Sanji (who had apparently walked away without much notice) returned and placed a huge bowl of what looked like fried rice in front of Don Krieg. The man shoveled the contents of that bowl into his mouth with his bare hands. It was a pretty gross but desperate display. Tani scooted over to Sanji with a smile, he smiled back.

This small moment of silent appreciation was ruined, when a devious grin crawled onto Krieg's face. His movements were too fast, his fist collided into Sanji's stomach. Sending him flying back into Tani, who tumbled over under the blondes weight. Panic ensued, customers fled from the restaurant in a flurry. Leaving only the chefs and straw hats behind. Krieg stood strong and menacingly before them.

"I need food for my starving crew. There's roughly 100 men on that vessel, all are on the verge of starvation," Krieg demanded. Sanji sat up, looking down at the dazed Tani he had unintentionally collided with. Sanji with a groan pulled himself and Tani off the ground. The straw hats crowded behind the pair, taking up battle ready stances.

Tani felt like a deer in the headlights, this was a big guy. Like he was huge! How the hell would she be able to help take this guy on?! She had no real combat skills, but she just knew she needed to help out if he decided to fight. Zeff grunted, walking towards the kitchen. "we'll serve anyone who needs to be fed," and disappeared behind the doors.

The other chefs didn't move from their spots, keeping an eye on Krieg. A smug grin on his face as he eyed up the place.

"this boat would make a fine replacement for my own," he observed, a lump formed in Tani's throat. She knew what this meant. "You can't have this ship!" she called out, aggressive in her tone. Her body was acting on its own, ignoring the screaming in her mind telling her to shut up and let the real fighters deal with it. Yet her body and mouth refused, "This ship... It belongs to these hard working men, you can't have it!" she yelled. The smug look on Krieg's face dropped, an annoyed tsk passed through his teeth. He stepped forward his hand held high. A large shadow covered the frozen girl, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. She held her arms up to defend her face, clenching her eyes closed to await the blow that would probably snap her in half.

"Sanji!" cried a few voices, others gasped, all flinched as the blonde flung the frozen girl out of the way and was met with yet another devastatingly hard blow to his body. No regrets in his mind, except for maybe how hard he pushed Tani away. Tani had to collect her bearings before rushing to Sanji's side, he laid on the floor with blood dribbling from his mouth and nose, she pulled him onto her lap for comft. 

Then out of absolutely nowhere! Patty pulled out a huge bazooka looking gun, and fired it straight into Don Krieg. Smoke filled the room, as did the hearty laugh of Patty. Who thought he had taken out the massive beast of a man. Note the word thought. The dust cleared, revealing the glimmering golden armour that covered the man. His face smug as he tapped his fist against it. "is that really all you got? This will be easier than I thought," he remarked smuggly. The other chefs readied to attack. When...

SLAM!

Everyone's attention was brought to the large sack of food that had been thrown to the ground inbetween Krieg and the chefs. Zeff dusted his hands off and spoke up, "there's enough to feed everyone. Now get off my ship," he demanded with authority. Tani watched him in awe, Sanji smiled with his eyes closed as he relaxed into the comfort of Tani's lap. Might as well enjoy the calm before the storm.

"once my army has recovered, I will take over this ship," Krieg declared, grabbing the huge sack of food and hauling it out of the Baratie. The smaller guy lingered for a moment, sadness in his eyes as he looked at Sanji, before returning to Krieg's side.

Tani clenched her fists, she was livid! She hated this asshole who just waltzed into the place like he owned it, attacking the man who saved his life! And now he was planning a full take over! She felt so powerless, Krieg had this aura of pure power that scared the ever loving shit outta her.

Zeff brought everyones attention to himself, telling everyone to prepare for battle. Sanji had a smirk on his face, lifting himself off of Tani and standing before Zeff. "wouldn't it be a good idea to raise the battle fins? Would hate to trash the place now wouldn't we," he smuggly suggested, lighting a new cigarette and breathing out the smoke. Zeff grunted, instructing the chefs to prepare for battle and to raise the battle fins.

"hey old guy," Luffy called from his spot on the stairs railing, which he had been perched upon the whole time. Zeff turned to face him, "how about I kick this guy's ass, and in return we get Tani back," Luffy suggested. A wide grin on his face, Tani looked at him in disbelief. How in the name of all that is holy. Could Luffy (a pretty scrawny kid) take down Don Krieg! (a man about twice Luffy's height! And covered in golden armour!). Zeff smirked and nodded in agreement to Luffy, who smiled back.

"Luffy! You idiot! You'll die if you take that guy on!" Tani cried out, but Luffy was already stretching his limbs. Tani turned to her crew, as if they would be able to stop him. But they were doing their own things, Zoro stretched as well. Usopp put on a brave face (but his shaking legs gave away his fears) and Nami was ready to just leave. Johnny and Yosaku were freaking out about Don Krieg and his bounty? Honestly this world was still way too confusing for her tastes.

Sanji placed a hand on the confused girls shoulder, she looked up and smiled at the comforting gesture. A look of uncertainty in her eyes, fearing for her friends safety. Yet the small voice in the back of her mind assured her that everything would be perfectly fine. That the outcome would be in favour of her companions. She turned her body towards Luffy, who gave her a thumbs up. She just knew that everything would be ok.

Moments had passed, the occupants of the Baratie were lined up upon the battle fin. All ready to defend the place they called home. Tani found herself among them, her body telling her that she could fight. Now tightly clasped in her hands were two yo-yo's and her roller blades still attached to her feet. The idea that she was fighting with these kids toys felt almost stupid to her... But that little voice in her head told her that this was the right thing to do.

The male straw hats were ready to fight (Nami had left to "watch the ship" as she said) Johnny and Yosaku had followed her. Sanji stood beside Tani, a worried look in his eyes.

"you sure you want to fight?" he questioned the nervous girl. She nodded to confirm that she was ready to help her friends, he blew out a puff of smoke. "don't worry, I'll protect you," he promised, she smiled nervously with a silent thank you.

Her attention turning back to the loud battle cry of the Don Krieg army, who now fully feed were charging towards the Baratie. A loud battle cry sounded from the chefs and straw hats as they charged forward with one objective in mind.

Protect the Baratie

The clanking of Tani's skates sliding across the smooth wooden deck of the battle fin, were masked by the loud grunts and clashing of weapons from those around her. She twirled her yo-yo's, flowing with an almost dancer like rhythm to the battle. Taking out the enemy with way too much ease for her liking. This felt way too easy and that freaked her out, she felt like she wasn't in control of her body. It moved as if it had been fighting like this for years. She wasn't complaining, since it meant she wasn't a burden on her peers.

Her attention would every so often flick towards her comrades. Usopp stayed far from the battle, but his shots were all so precise that he still did a lot of considerable damage. Flames consumed his enemies before they knew what hit them.

Zoro was slicing and dicing his way through the enemy, with all three swords! A style that she had never seen before. One in each hand, while the third was placed in his mouth. He moved with such speed and grace that he put the masters back home to shame.

Sanji was probably one of the coolest fighters to watch, he didn't use his hands. Utilising his extremely long legs for combat, his movements were evasive and calculated. He kept himself close to her. Taking out anyone that she wasn't paying attention to, protecting her as he had promised.

Lastly there was Luffy. His rubber like body made him so bouncy and difficult to hit. Heck she saw him take bullets directly, and deflect them back! And his rubber arms made for some great weapons. He was punting men into the water left and right! It was seriously like she was in a Saturday morning cartoon. All that was missing was a giant mecha robot and magical girl transformations.

The battle was at a stalemate, Krieg's crew made no progress towards the Baratie but the chef's hadn't pushed back enough. Tani held her ground way better than she thought she would, actually taking out quite a few goons. Zipping and weaving to avoid attacks while dishing out her own quick blows from the spinning yo-yo's in their faces. Her breath was a little shaky from all the movement and intensity of the battle (she didn't miss the passing glances from Sanji, who would always find himself following her around on the battle field). 

SLASH! BANG!

An intense gust of wind blew through the air, many of the chefs and Krieg's crew were swept off their feet, flying into the water. Tani felt herself lifting from the ground, her voice lost in the many who cried within the winds howls. A tight grip clasped around her wrist, she looked through blurry eyes to find Luffy had caught her before she was swept away into the wild ocean waves. Relief in his eyes.

Everyone turned their gaze to the now sliced up remains of Don Krieg's already busted up ship. Krieg was frozen in fear, "He...He followed us!?" He cried. Everyone stared at the shadowy figure floating in the sea, unless they were Usopp.

"The ships gonna sink!" Usopp called out, running towards where our ship was docked in the hopes of stopping it from being taken over by the wild waves... The ship had already begun sailing away. 

"Nami must have moved away!" Tani called out, a smile on her face at the prospect of the ship and Nami being safe. Luffy retracted his stretched arm, pulling Tani back to the ground. She thanked him with a nod, which he returned. Everyone's attention had turned to the single figure floating through all the chaos.

Krieg and his men were frozen in fear, while everyone else was stunned at the sheer damage this one guy did! Like seriously, he cut an entire boat in half! Tani had never seen anything like this. Not a single human being would ever be able to do even 10% of the damage this guy had just done in the span of 5 seconds... Than again, she was in a world where captain's could stretch their limbs like rubber bands and restaurants floated on the sea.

The battlefield was almost cleared out of people. Only the straw hats, Sanji and two people from the Krieg pirates stood on the battle wings. Everyone else had blown into the water. Zoro had a serious look in his eyes, his grip on his three swords tightened.

"Hawkeye Mihawk..." he whispered to himself, though he was loud enough for the straw hats to catch on. Tani wondered how he knew who this guy was... Then again, she wouldn't know anyone famous in the world now would she. So she kept to herself.

Zoro made a b-line for this Mihawk guy, Usopp split off to pursue the ship (he said it was to help Nami, but his shaking legs proved otherwise). Luffy, Sanji and Tani prepared to take on the large man that had a huge pearl on his head. Well really it was only Tani taking him on, since Sanji was fighting Gin (who Tani learned was the small guy who was with Krieg early) and Luffy had run off to pursue Krieg himself. Well tried too, he kept getting thrown back.

Tani twirled her yo-yo's around, ready to charge at the pearl guy who was really starting to piss her off at this point. He gloated about his perfect record of not drawing blood in a fight ever. She rolled her eyes, roughly calculating the man's height and weight in comparison to hers. She hoped she had speed and agility would be enough. This guy was the second in command after all.

She didn't have time to think before the guy charged in to body slam her into the ground, luckily her skates were faster. She skidded out of the way, the shock waves from the impact sent her flying. She barely had time to react before he rushed her again, fear and adrenaline coursed through her veins. Fight or flight kicked into high gear, her lungs were on fire as she slipped and glided away from the man's insane attacks. She had completely forgotten to fight back, her flight taking control of her fight instinct.

"Tani!" she heard someone call out, she didn't know who because the blood rushing to her head was making all voices, and noises sound muffled. Tears streamed down her cheeks, she didn't know what to do. Her legs wobbled and shook from the intense movement, she felt like she was going to die. She didn't want to die!

"Tani!" the voice repeated, only this time she felt hands grip at her shoulders. She whipped around to find Luffy flying behind her. Like some weird human kite. He had an intense look in his eye, but Tani had no time to pay attention as she continued to zip around the arena. Avoiding attacks while Luffy flew behind her.

"Gum gum battle axe!" he called out, the weight on her shifted. Luckily Tani recovered from the imbalance, as Luffy kicked his leg out and slammed it into the pearl guys stupid head! Tani felt her heart beat racing. A sense of relief and guilt took over. Luffy had taken out Pearl when he should have been focusing on Don Krieg. He went out of his way to save her sorry ass, because she was too afraid of the guy.

Pearl had begun having a mental breakdown over the sight of a nose bleed. A nose bleed! Imagine this guy accidently scrapping his knee! But anyway, the dude was setting everything within a 3ft radius on fire while wailing like a baby. The scene was comical, which made Tani feel a little better. Even if she was skidding across the now burning deck of the Baratie.

"I'm bleeding! I'm bleeding!!" Pearl roared in pain, charging towards Luffy. Tani's body moved on its own, she sped towards Luffy who would have been hit, had she not hooked her arm around his waist and jerked him out of the way. Pearl slammed into the ground, leaving a hole in the deck where Luffy would have become a human pancake.

Tani kept her arm hooked around Luffy as she sped away from the fiery attacks of the crybaby Pearl. Luffy was surprisingly light which made movement easy, and Tani thankful.

After a few moments of all out evasion. Luffy decided to take action, his hands grabbed at Tani's. The girl tensed a little but turned her attention to the captain with question. He nodded, as if she knew exactly what to do... Oh!

She released Luffy from under her arm, twisting herself to face him. Hands in hands, she spun around on the spot, the rubber man's arms stretched from the speed. He spun around like a hammer throw ball.

Tani bent her legs lower to the ground, spinning faster and faster. Had she not done this before, she would have been sick. Her grip was tight, waiting for just the right moment. After a couple more spins had built up momentum, Luffy let go of her hands, which she responded with by letting go as well.

"Quit your whining!" Tani called out to Pearl. Having launched Luffy right into said crybaby, knocking Pearl into the water with a satisfying splash! Luffy bounced back onto the burning deck with a thunk. Turning to Tani with a grin, she held a thumbs up. Her heart was pounding against her chest, she felt so exhausted that she could have passed out... Then she passed out on the decking with a satisfied smile. She had helped out somewhat during that battle.

...

Tani groaned, her entire body ached and her limbs felt stiff. It was as if she had just played all out dodge ball against a team of fully trained athletes!

"hey, don't move too much," a muffled voice demanded. Tani ignored it, trying to sit up... Bad idea, as the blood all rushed from her head. Making her dizzy and nauseous. Hands pushed her back down, which she fought against, swatting the hands away. She finally cracked her eyes open to find Luffy looming beside her. His face shifting from concerned to relieved.

"...Did we win?" Tani asked with a hoarse voice, Luffy's eyes sparkled. He explained everything. From Zoro losing against Mihawk, who was apparently the world's greatest swords man! But being spared so they could have a rematch when Zoro was better. He explained how Gin saved Sanji and himself from a poison gas that Krieg shot at everyone.

"wait, how did I survive?" Tani questioned, Luffy stated he had grabbed a mask off of one of Krieg's men and shoved it on her face. She thanked him, letting him continue his story.

It was because of that poison gas move, that Luffy finally had it with Krieg and rushed him. He pointed out all the bandages along his arms and hands. Krieg had sent a whole bunch of pointed bullets at Luffy which he brushed off like they were nothing. He even punched through a spiked blanket shield thingy, just so he could hit Krieg. Which explained the bandages on his hands.

The part that surprised Tani the most was the electric spear that Luffy had taken direct hits from like... He said 5 times? Well even if it was more or less, Tani was impressed. Honestly it felt like nothing could kill him. Luffy laughed when he described the look on Krieg's face when the spear shattered.

Luffy ended the story explaining how Krieg had captured him in a steel net. Which lead to Krieg's own demise, but had left Luffy unable to escape the ocean. Luckily! Sanji had dived in after him and rescued him from drowning. Thus concluding the battle of the Baratie.

"so now we can leave!" Luffy cheered, "but first, we're gonna eat to celebrate winning!" he declared. Tani sat up from her spot in one of the beds that the chefs would sleep in. Only this one looked much nicer, and judging by the decor of the room. Her assumptions lead her to believe that this was Sanji's room.

Luffy looked like he was ready to eat the floor, so Tani sped up her movements. But her body disagreed, so she toppled over. Being caught by Luffy before she smacked into the ground. She felt bothered by this. In the week or so that she had been in this world, Luffy would always be there to pick her up or save her from danger. Something that everyone else seemed to be able to do by themselves with ease. She huffed at herself, and pushed off of Luffy. Wobbling to stand on her own, but proceeded to walk out the room and search for the dining room. She failed to notice the confused look on Luffy's face at the odd behaviour.

When the pair arrived, they found everyone dining together rather happily. Gloating about their victory over the Krieg army. Tani wandered the tables of food and found one dish with a sticky note on it addressing her (and telling everyone to back off). It was a fruit parfait, similar to the one she had had on her first day. It had Sanji written all over it. She grabbed it and looked around the room to find the blonde chef.

"who made the soup today?" Patty asked aloud, Sanji called out. Proud of his work, only to get berated by the other chefs. All of them insulted him and his cooking. Which rightfully pissed him off, and he stormed off.

"what the hell! You guys are such jerks!" Tani yelled at them, charging out the room to find Sanji. The blonde was leaning over the railing, his body was tense and his fists were clenched. Tani slowly approached.

"don't listen to them," she said gently, he whipped his head around to find her standing beside him, the parfait still cupped in her hands. "in all honesty, I think you're probably the best chef here." she complimented. His lips lifted slightly, eyes dazzling in appreciation.

He breathed out, wisps of smoke danced through the air. His thoughts on how much he would love to explore the Grandline with the likes of Tani. Maybe even...

"have you ever heard of the All Blue?" his eyes glowed when asking, Tani shook her head. Sanji began explaining his dream to the girl, who listened to every detail of his dream to one day find this legendary place. The way he spoke of it... It was mesmerising!

"you should join the crew then. We need a cook, plus we're going to travel the Grand line at some point so why not join us?" Tani suggested, in all honesty. She really just wanted him to join because he was one of the nicest people she had ever met. Plus he made really good parfaits.

"hey! why don't we go tell all those jerks to shut up," Tani suggested, hooking her arm around one of his. Dragging him over to the door. Just as they went to open the door, they heard the chefs and Luffy talking among themselves.

"The soup is really good though, I don't see the problem," Luffy stated, Sanji tensed up again. They were talking about him.

"we know... It's probably the best soup we've ever had," the chefs all muttered and complimented to themselves.

"we just needed to find a way to piss him off enough so he'll leave." Patty stated. Another chef called him out on his poor acting skills. Leading to everyone bursting into laughter and jokes.

Surprise was present on Sanji's face, why would they want him to leave? Did they hate him that much?

"Luffy, please take him." Zeff asked, both Tani and Sanji looked at each other in confusion. "he's too stubborn to leave, even though he clearly wants to. Kid thinks he owes me."

"I can't," Luffy stated bluntly, "if he doesn't want to leave, then I can't force him. He's gotta decide for himself." he concluded, then shovelled squid into his mouth.

Sanji had had enough, he kicked open the door. Tani stood back and watched as he argued with the crew, and they argued back. She leaned against the door frame and continued eating what wouldn't be her last Sanji made parfait.

Yosaku had shown up at some point during the battle and informed Luffy and the others of Nami's betrayal. She had stolen the ship and sailed away to pursue some guy by the name of Arlong. So they needed to move fast or they might lose her. Zoro, Usopp and Johnny were already hot on her trail. So Luffy and Tani just needed to come as backup.

With a heart felt farewell from the chefs, they sent a sobbing Sanji away with what was left of the straw hats.


	5. Pinwheels And Mandarins... Oh And Fish Men Causing Mass Destruction

"Sanji! Make me food!" Luffy complained, lazing around on the small boat. He couldn't bother Tani since she was helping Yosaku with sailing the boat. She said something about 'making herself useful' which Luffy thought was dumb because she's already useful, but he left it. 

Tani listened to what Yosaku said when explaining how to properly steer a boat. It was pretty similar to a car now that she thought about it. Except speed relied on the wind which kinda sucked. She also had no idea how the sails were meant to be set up, but those were a lesson for another day. 

"lunch!" Sanji called out, Yosaku dashed out the cabin. Tani didn't feel comfortable leaving the steering unattended. Even if it was for a quick break. She kept her hands firmly on the steering pole (it wasn't a wheel which surprised her) and her gaze on the rolling ocean waves. 

Sanji watched the door, waiting for Tani to join them. Yosaku and Luffy had already begun stuffing their faces at breakneck speeds. He had to hide the special dish he'd made for Tani, but he knew Luffy would find it sooner or later. 

"hey, where's Tani?" Luffy said with his cheeks stuffed full of meat. His eyes darted around the place but he couldn't find his capped nakama anywhere. Yosaku perked up and pointed at the cabin which housed the steering pole. 

"I'll bring her something to eat," Sanji stated, standing from his seat and pulling the tray of food he had hidden for her from under the table. Luffy looked hungrily at the tray, but a death glare from Sanji put him in his place. The blonde waltzed towards the cabin where Tani remained focused.

Luffy hummed to himself in thought. Yosaku side eyed him but continued to eat. He'd only known Tani for about a week, but she was already acting strange. He focused on the cabin door, hopeful that Sanji may be able to cheer her up. 

"Tani! I saved you some food, I poured my heart and soul into it for your enjoyment," Sanji cooed, twirling around with the tray balanced perfectly in his hand. Tani turned her head towards him and smiled softly. 

"thanks, mind taking over the steering for a moment?" she asked, eyeing this really really good looking food. Sanji nodded and stood where Tani once stood. Tani sighed with relief when she sat down and ate. Had she ever mentioned that Sanji is the greatest cook she had ever encountered? Because honestly everything he made tasted like it was touched by the hands of angels! 

"You do know that it's a pretty calm day today, we can just leave the steering." Sanji informed, Tani swallowed her mouthful of food. 

"Oh... I know pretty much nothing about sailing, it's my first time actually," she laughed at herself. "back home I don't live anywhere near the sea," Tani spoke with a hint of homesickness. 

"If you don't live near the sea, then how did Luffy recruit you? If you don't mind me asking," Sanji questioned curiously. 

"Woke up randomly from a nap in the middle of the ships deck. Tried to make a run for it because I thought I'd been kidnapped." she recounted, laughing slightly at the next part of her story, "Luffy tried to stop me from jumping off the ship, but I yanked on his arm and he flew into the ocean with me. Turns out he can't swim so I had to save him," she snickered.

Sanji remained quiet, listening to her speak so fondly of her interesting story. It still confused him how she magically arrived on the ship. Yet he didn't really care if he got an answer. Just having Tani happy made him happy. 

"Sanji! Tani!" Luffy shouted from outside, the two turned towards his concerned cry. The boat rocked about, the waves shaking the occupants around like rag dolls. Sanji grabbed Tani to stop her from falling over. Together they made their way outside, to be met with the large face of a... Fish? Cow? Sea cow? Whatever it was! It was a large cow fish that looked like it wanted to eat the boat. 

"what the hell is that!?" Tani shouted at her rather excited looking captain. The sea cow roared, shaking the boat viciously. Luffy launched his fist into the creatures face, sending it flying backwards. Water splashed all over the boats occupants, much to the displeasure of Tani. Who twisted the water out of her hair. 

"now now Luffy," Sanji sighed, pushing the captain out of the way. Sanji held out a plate of cooked meat, "can't you see that the guy just wants a meal," he explained. The cow had swum backup and eyed the meal in Sanji's hand. A sparkle shined through the creatures eyes, it's massive maw opened. Tani went pale, the things mouth was going to take out the whole boat! 

Like a flash, Sanji kicked the jaw of the cow sending it flying further away than Luffy's punch did! 

"what?! Why could you hit it but not me?" Luffy complained to the cook. Sanji blew out a cloud of smoke. 

"moron, the thing would've eaten us too," he stated nonchalantly, "now, can you guys grab some ropes? We could use it to take us to Arlong Park faster," 

Tani perked up, "I saw some in the cabin, be right back," she said excitedly. Running into the cabin to find that rope. Who in their right mind would think to use a giant sea monster as a method of transport? Apparently these lunatics, but god did it sound awesome! The girl was bouncing on the balls of her feet with excitement. 

"found the rope yet?" Luffy's voice asked into the cabin. Tani lifted her head up to face the new arrival. 

"not yet, I know it's here somewhere though," she hummed, Luffy moved to the opposite side of the room and started looking as well. The pair fell silent in their search for the rope. The sound of Sanji kicking the sea cow into submission being a strange background sound, that kinda drowned out the silence.

"got it!" Tani cheered, pulling the long rope out of a box near the steering pole. Luffy grabbed it from her and walked out the door calling for Sanji. Tani followed behind and watched as the two saddled the monster to the front of the tiny boat. Commanding it to swim towards Arlong Park. Which it did at a breakneck speed! 

"since you don't need to worry about steering anymore," Luffy started, looking towards Tani, "you can show me some more tricks!" he cheered. 

Tani laughed lightly, "sorry Luffy, I'm still really tired from the Baratie fight," she apologised, Luffy pouted but understood.

"why not take a nap, we won't be at Arlong Park for a while," Yosaku suggested. Tani thought about it. Maybe it was a good idea to rest up so she wasn't a hindrance like she was during the Baratie. Yet she felt like she had already slept way more than Luffy or Sanji, and both of them were perfectly fine.

"I slept a bunch on the Baratie," she halfheartedly laughed, "I don't need anymore sleep," she decided, ruining it all with a large yawn. The boys gave her a look of disapproval. She crossed her arms like a defiant child.

"sleep Tani, you need it," Sanji told her, his eyes glittered when a thought crossed his mind. "if you want you can use me as a pillow," he cooed. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm not sleeping," she pouted, getting up and walking into the cabin to get away from their concerned gazes. She already felt like she wasn't good enough, sleep would just make her feel worse. 

Tani heard them murmuring outside the door, but none of them entered the room. Which she was grateful for. Finding a crate, she sat down and opened her bag to find something to make her feel better. She hadn't quite found the time to really examine what she had brought with her into this world. 

Pulling out her yo-yo's, windbreaker, wallet and the less than half full box of roll ups. She wasn't surprised to find a notebook and pencil case. What was surprising was the Walkman with headphones she had gotten as a gift from her mum on her 15th birthday. She didn't expect to find that in there, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. 

Another surprise was a camera she didn't know she had... She had never owned a camera in her life, where did this one come from? There was a note attached to it, but it was pretty vague. 

"you'll know what to do with this?" Tani read aloud with confusion, she folded the paper and shoved it into her bag. Her fingers brushed against a small metal ball, her fingers delicately picked it up to find the same bell she had found the day she fell asleep and woke up in this world. She shook it, but it made no noise. 

Confused but not really in the right mind space to figure it out. Tani put everything but the Walkman back into her bag. Placing the headphones on her ears, pressing play and relaxing to the sound of her custom cassette tape. She remembered how excited she was going through all the songs she wanted with her mum. 

She smiled at the fond memories of her mother. The women was one strong cookie, a real role model for all people and a genuine gem of a person. Tani felt her stomach tie into knots. That relaxing feeling faded away as the dread of what her mum was going through right now filled her mind. 

Was she crying right now? Calling the police? Did she think I ran away? Were a few of the questions that ran through the worried girls mind. Tears threatened to dribble down her cheeks, but she held them back. She couldn't be weak... Not in this world where literally anything can and will kill you. Her grip around the Walkman tightened with determination. She needed to get home... Just for her mother. 

She sat in the room on the brink of tears for a while, nobody walked into the cabin. A relief on Tani's mind since she didn't want to be caught crying (even if she wasn't actually crying). That is until she felt like the boat was flying through the air... 

"I don't know how to land it!" Luffy shouted from outside, Tani was freaking out as she flew into the air. Dropping her headphones around her neck to pay attention to what the hell was happening. Her body smacked into the roof and back onto the ground repeatedly. 

"Well do something!" Sanji shouted back at Luffy. Tani turned to look out the window of the cabin and saw that they were indeed flying through the air. How? She had no idea and honestly didn't want to know. She just wanted to stay alive.

"hang on to something!" Sanji called out to everyone. She grabbed onto the steering pole and held on for dear life. When the impact of the boat hitting the ground! Not the ocean! The small boat crashed, Tani felt like she was going to die for like the millionth time just today! Her screaming filled the room while she closed her eyes in the hopes that this was all maybe just a dream... But the bruises on her body to proved that this was all very very real. 

The ship came to a halt, everything stopped moving. Tani didn't let go of the pole until Sanji and Luffy ran into the room with panicked expressions. Luffy laughed when he saw that she was alright, proclaiming that "that was fun!". Sanji on the other hand was very concerned about Tani, he ran to her side and holding her in his arms like a fragile flower. 

"get off," she stated flatly, a hand pushed against his face to stop him from smothering her. "so what the hell just happened?!" she shouted, Luffy stopped laughing and told her how the sea cow halted and launched them through the air. So it was just as crazy as everything in this world... Great.

"well let's go look around!" Luffy cheered, walking out of the ruined cabin, into the lush forested area. The crew walked for less than 20 minutes before they ran into a lost looking Zoro. 

"when did you guys get here?" Zoro asked in confusion, Luffy explained the situation. Tani turned her gaze to the bandages wrapped around the swordsman's entire torso. He should be resting right now! Yet here he is looking as well as ever. Tani felt more knots in her stomach. Why did she need to be paired with some of the most powerful people (hopefully) in the world?! 

"oh wait. We need to hurry! Usopp's been captured by Arlong," Zoro stated after Luffy finished recounting their misadventures. Everyone's eyes widened.

"you moron! Why didn't you say that before hand?!" Sanji angrily shouted at the swordsman. Who ignored him and started running in a random direction. Everyone followed behind him... Didn't we just pass that tree? 

"Zoro, we're running in circles!" Tani shouted in frustration. Usopp may be a strong opponent, but he was a cowardly man that would probably panic under these circumstances. "come on let's try this way!" Tani called out, picking a direction and leading the others. She had no idea where she was going, but it was better than a circle.

They broke through the forest, finding a rice field and path. Tani let out a sigh of relief. Sanji was cooing over how much he loved women who took charge (which Tani ignored). Her need to save a comrade taking over every thought in her mind. If she could prove herself now, then maybe she could be a valuable asset to the straw hats. She turned her head to face the left, a large building that looked akin to old Japanese architecture (at least she believed that to be the case) stood tall in the distance. If that didn't scream "evil head quarters" then she didn't know what will. 

She turned in that direction and bolted, not saying a word. Her heart pounding, the selfish desire to validate herself through saving Usopp filled her guts and chest. She didn't think, she didn't listen to the cries of her crew who were running behind her, telling her to wait. Too caught up in her emotions, she failed to notice a crying and wailing Johnny running in her direction. The two collided, sending both falling backwards onto the dirt path. 

"Johnny!" Yosaku cheered, his happiness fleeted when he saw the sadness in his companions eyes. "what happened? Why are you crying?".

Johnny sniffled, "she... She killed him," everyone gave him a confused look. Killed who? Who is she? Johnny started bawling again. "she killed Usopp! Nami killed Usopp in cold blood,".

The colour in Tani's face drained. Usopp was... Dead. But how?! How could Nami have done something so cruel!? Especially to a friend!

"she was one of them all along... She was a member of Arlong's crew. She's a traitor!" Johnny cried with hints of anger lacing his words. Tani felt her knees wobble, a ball formed in her throat at the thought of losing someone she considered a friend. 

"you guys really are stupid aren't you?" the familiar female voice proclaimed. Everyone's attention turned to the red head. She looked deranged, like many emotions were at play in her mind. Tani however, didn't care. She stormed towards her former companion, ready to hit her in her stupid face for ending the life of someone so important!

Something, or rather someone. Namely Luffy. Held her back, grabbing her by the shoulder and shaking his head in disapproval. Her emotions ran wild, she wanted to scream, cry, attack! Anything to make this ugly feeling go away. She jutted her shoulder out of Luffy's hold and stormed off. Not wanting anyone to see her in such an ugly state. The calls of her friends bounced off her ears as she ran in the opposite direction. 

Luffy looked at Tani's disappearing form. He knew she needed some time to cool off, but the look in her eyes showed just how hurt his nakama felt. There was something very wrong going on in her mind, and he needed to fix it. However, right now he needed to help Nami. 

...

Tani didn't know how long she had been running for. She had made it to a village full of brightly coloured houses. The place smelled of tangerines, fresh and fruity. The people were all gathered around the... What the hell! Is that a flipped building?! The whole thing was flipped upside down! She sped towards the people, asking them what had happened. They all spoke of a brave young man with a long nose fighting off the Arlong pirates as best he could before being captured and taken away... So Usopp sacrificed himself for the welfare of the people.

She felt like she had been punched in the stomach. The blow almost knocking her back, Usopp died because he was fighting for these people. He was a brave and strong man... And here she was, trying to save him because she wanted to feel like she had some worth to this crew. She turned away from the villagers, who were all too busy discussing what they were to do with the building. 

Her murky eyes landing on the form of Nami, she looked at the town with a nostalgic face. Oh how Tani wanted to rip that off her! She didn't deserve to be happy after ending the life of the man who had saved these people. But the feeling of Luffy's hand on her shoulder ghosted by her mind. The look of disapproval he had given her prevented her from acting. She clenched her fists and left the village, death glaring Nami as she walked past. 

Failing to see the look of sadness in Nami's eyes when Tani had walked away. A silent apology on the navigators mind. 

Tani ran. She didn't care where, she didn't care how far or tired she got. She wanted to run away. She wanted to go home and hug her mum, leave this awful nightmare! Her body ached, her injuries from the Baratie cried out at her to stop! Rest! Anything but this. Yet she kept running. Her protesting body had had enough and she collapsed on the dirt path. Tears flushed from her eyes, she hiccuped and cried. Cursing herself for her feelings, cursing the cruel god that sent her here! Cursing Nami for killing someone so important in her life, even if they had only known each other for such a short period of time. 

The sound of dirt shifting under foot alerted her that someone was approaching. Yet at this point she didn't care, she couldn't be bothered getting up and running. If she didn't turn her attention to them, then they wouldn't draw attention her... 

Or so she thought because the individual who was walking past, stopped and lifted her up, holding her under one of their arms. Not saying a word in the process. She looked through blurry eyes to find the bright red of Luffy's shirt in her vision. She struggled a bit, but her aching limbs were useless... Just like her. 

"just leave me behind Luffy..." she requested tiredly. His grip around her tightened slightly, as a silent refusal. "why?" she questioned aloud, he didn't answer. Continuing down the dirt path, back towards the village. Tani fell silent, tired... She was very very tired. 

Luffy held Tani tight, she had fallen limp when she fell asleep. He paused for a moment, moving her onto his back so she would be more comfortable. His grip around her legs was secure, she wouldn't fall. He wouldn't let her get left behind even if she wanted to. He continued forward towards the village, he needed to talk to Nami.

...

Tani awoke to the sound of crying. It was loud, ugly and full of so much heartache and pain. She shifted from her spot on the ground, confusing her for a moment but that didn't matter. Looking up at the hunched over form of Nami, tears and snot ran down her face and she rubbed at her eyes. Blood poured from her left arm, and Luffy's hat rested atop her head. Tani pushed herself off the ground and walked over to Nami. 

"I'm so sorry..." Nami cried, looking up at Tani. Who in return crouched down and wrapped her arms around the sobbing girl. "Usopp is alive... Luffy and the others have left to fight Arlong," Nami filled in. Tani squeezed her arms around Nami in a comforting manner. 

"we should go and support them... Shouldn't we?" Tani stated softly, Nami hiccuped and nodded. Tani let go of Nami, who stood up and smiled weakly at Tani. The girls looked over at the foreboding tower of Arlong Park and began their walk towards the battle. 

On the way, Nami told Tani of her deal with Arlong. The story of her adoptive mother Bell-Mere being murdered because she wanted to protect her and her sister Nojiko. Tani felt her heart ache at the pain Nami had to suffer for the sake of her people. She had struck a deal with Arlong, stating that she would buy back the village for $100,000,000 Berri... But Arlong took all the money she had stolen. She was so close.

Tani felt a rage burn in her chest, she wanted nothing more than to destroy this despicable man who had hurt and ruined the life of her friend. Tani glared at the approaching park. Ready to watch Luffy and the crew beat the ever loving shit outta this guy. 

When the pair arrived the battle had yet to begin. Luffy looked pissed, as did the others. Tani stood beside Nami, who held the rim of Luffy's hat in her shaking hands. The busted up doorway as well as the destroyed part of the wall all the way back, with a purple dude in a Hawaiian shirt buried underneath it. Showed that someone had probably thrown the first punch... That someone was probably Luffy. 

Luffy had his back towards the girls, but the way his shoulders were tensed and his hands held in fists. He was pissed. The fish men... Yes fish men! Were all snapped out of their collective stun lock and charged the captain. Even the sea cow!!! Yeah the sea cow was apparently part of the Arlong crew. 

Luffy grinned, stamping his feet into the ground! The concrete ground! Like how did he even?! Back on topic. Luffy grabbed the sea cow by the horns and-

"Gum gum pinwheel!" he shouted while spinning around with the cow in hand, smashing anyone within a sea cows length. Finishing his move when he threw the cow back into the ocean... Far far away. 

All that was left was three fish guys and Arlong himself. Sanji and Zoro stood beside Luffy, who hadn't unearthed himself yet. He looked like he was stuck. Which was confirmed when Luffy failed to dodge the ink spray from the octopus guy, and when he couldn't escape the large rock that was thrown at him (which Sanji thankfully broke in half before he could get hurt). 

Arlong caught wind of this. A victorious grin slid onto his face, he unearthed the ground around Luffy's feet and tossed him far away into the water.

Everyone fell silent. Tani froze for only moments before her mind clicked and she tosses her bag at Nami and ran towards the water. She saw a coast line outside the wall, so she ran that way so the fish men wouldn't catch wind of her actions. She dived into the water and swam as fast as her still tired legs would carry her. Luffy's life was in her hands right now. She kicked harder, her arms pushing away as much water as she could. 

The red shirt gave away his location, right at the bottom of the sea beds. His hands were over his mouth and his eyes looked frantic. Tani swam down towards his lodged feet, she pulled and tugged at them but his legs just kept stretching... Wait a second! She turned to his face, he was looking at her with tired eyes. He looked like he couldn't hold his breath anymore. Tani grabbed his head and yanked, as she had hoped! His neck stretched. She cupped his head in her hands and swam back up as fast as she could to the surface. Her lungs screamed for air.

When they broke the surface, Luffy hacked up a lung or two. He was alive, and that's all that mattered to the breathless Tani. So here she was, holding the head of Luffy. She didn't want to think about how his neck looked under water, this was already weird enough for her. Luffy grinned at her, she smiled back with relief. She turned herself onto her back, Luffy's head being held against her chest (much to her embarrassment but that was the only way she could swim without his face being submerged) and swam on her back towards the shore. She groggily pulled herself onto the concrete platform placed outside the walls of the Arlong Park and held Luffy's head in her lap. 

Tani was tired, but she needed to stay awake and alert. Luffy was defenseless right now, and if a fish man attacked right now she needed to think of a way to fight back while keeping him alive. Luffy seemed perfectly calm, given his current situation. The sound of swords clashing and blows being exchanged could be heard. Yet she paid them no mind, keeping her focus on Luffy. 

A man with a pinwheel hat, and a girl with purple hair came running down towards the pair. The fear on their faces melted away when they saw the head of Luffy resting safely against Tani. 

"what about his feet?" she man questioned, Tani lifted Luffy's head up more to show how his neck was stretched out. The man grabbed his chin in thought, "Nojiko can you take hold of the boys head," the man stated, Nojiko nodded and grabbed Luffy's head from Tani. The man turned to Tani and motioned towards the water, 

"we need to break him free. Nojiko is healing from a bullet wound, I'll need your help," he stated matter-of-factly. Tani stood up, she was still healing from her wounds too, but she wouldn't say that. She bent down to remove her soaked shoes and socks. The bruise from when Luffy accidently hit her, screamed in protest. She held back a hiss when she turned towards the water and dived. The man following close behind. 

The pair pulled and pulled on Luffy's legs, but they wouldn't budge. Tani grabbed a rock and started hitting the slab of concrete that encased his feet, but she did barely any damage. She could feel the oxygen leaving her, but she refused to resurface! Not until she could set Luffy free. 

The concrete ground Luffy's feet shattered to pieces. Was it because Tani was so determined to set him free? Was it divine intervention? No, it was Sanji, who with one kick shattered the entire slab to rubble. Luffy's body zoomed through the water to rejoin the head. Tani felt like her lungs were about to explode so she swam up as fast as she could before she could pass out. She broke the surface of the water along side Sanji, who she thrust herself onto in a hug of relief. Sanji hugged her back, finding a now passed out Tani resting with a peaceful smile in his arms. He was just glad she was getting some rest, and swam them both back to shore, carrying her towards the group. 

Tani woke up to the sound of wood crashing onto a hard surface. She jerked forward. Her body was pressed against Sanji's as he held her like a princess. She turned her head towards the source of the noise, and found a wooden desk, smashed to pieces. Whilst thousands of white sheets of paper fluttered and danced around in the wind. The sound of Nami quietly crying to herself could be heard by those who were paying attention, a silent thank you on her mind. 

Then a leg shot through the roof of the building, which kicked down through the building. Each floor crushing in on itself. Everyone gasped in horror, even Sanji seemed to tense up. Tani realized that Luffy was in the building. She pushed herself out of Sanji's grasp and half ran, half fumbled over her own legs. The knocked out bodies of fish men spread around the courtyard.

Tani stood before the collapsed building, staring at it. She went to climb it, remove the debris from the building. When something shifted, and Luffy emerged. Blood stained his arms, but he held his arms up and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"NAMI! YOU ARE MY FRIEND!"

Everyone fell silent, the loud crying of Nami could be heard. The villagers all cheered and crowded around Luffy, lifting and throwing him in the air like he was the star player on a winning football team. Tani smiled with teary eyes, thankful that her friend was alive. 

...

The village partied for the whole week! It was wild, everyone was drinking and dancing all week long. Tani decided to rest her body for most of those days. Only really enjoying the party for the first day. Enjoying the many tangerine themed sweets she could get her hands on. Oh! And her quest to find some secret melon that Luffy wanted.

"Sanji! Where's that melon thingy you found?" Luffy asked with a mouth full of food. Sanji was sitting across from Zoro, while Tani sat next to Zoro. She perked up at the mention of melons, she had an affinity for them because they reminded her of her mum for some reason. 

"those? I dunno, you should ask the old guy, he got them for me," Sanji answered, taking another breath of his cigarette. Tani stood up, the boys eyes on her. 

"can I come?" she asked, Luffy responded with a grin. His hand grabbed her upper arm and dragged her into the crowds of people partying. Her legs still ached but she could manage, she wanted to have fun while their lives weren't in danger. 

The pair searched around the town, but they couldn't find the man with the pinwheel hat. Luffy wandered outside the town with Tani in tow. It was quiet, nothing to be heard but the crickets and cicadas chirping into the night. Tani buttoned up her denim jacket, the air was a little chilly since the town was so close to the ocean. Luffy was unaffected by this, a quality Tani hoped to gain in the near future.

The clouds were cleared, the bright stars shined strong and pure. Tani had never seen them look so beautiful in her life. The moment was ruined a little when Luffy started shouting at the pinwheel man, who was standing before a crudely made cross. He looked at peace, a bit of sadness mixed with happiness. 

Luffy questioned him about the melons, while Tani remained focused on the small grave the man was standing in front of. The hope that the person was in a better place now. After Luffy received his answer, and a warning to never take away Nami's smile. The pair walked away, towards the location of the melons.

Tani in the silence thought of the events of that day. How much Nami had done for her home, how much Luffy and the crew did to save the lives of these people in the name of their... Nakama? The term was still unknown to her, but she knew it had something to do with being a crew? 

"Luffy," she began, the boy turned to look at her with a hum, meat still shoved in his mouth. "what's nakama? I've heard you say it a bunch." she asked. Luffy looked a little wide eyed, but swallowed his mouthful of food and began explaining.

"It's like ummm... A friend, but a super special friend." he said, "someone or some people who are closer than family. Everyone on my crew is nakama, you're nakama," he grinned, his smile shined in the light of the moon. Mirroring that same night he proclaimed their friendship on her first night. 

The atmosphere shifted, a heavy feeling weighted on the girls heart. He considered her someone closer than family, a special friend. She halted her step, her mind full of conflicting ideas. Like the concept of being that important to someone was not possible. Luffy paused a couple meters ahead, turning to look at her in confusion. She shook her head.

"I'm sorry," she spouted, tears prickled the corners of her eyes. Her face held a small smile, a grateful smile. "I'm sorry that you consider the likes of me in such a way. It's an honour and privilege to have someone so amazing... See something worthy in someone like me." she half laughed. 

She took a step forward, Luffy remained still, but the look in his eyes was an emotion Tani couldn't read. Another step, the gap between them growing closer and closer. Tani raised her arms, taking a final step before leaping into Luffy in a tight bear hug. She didn't know how she could still have tears left to cry, but she wasn't sad anymore.

"I'll try harder to be someone worthy of such a title," she declared, squeezing the still captain in her arms. He moved his arms up to wrap around her, returning the hug. He laughed at her. 

"you've saved me from drowning twice now, how are you not worthy of being nakama?" he asked, Tani laughed. She didn't really know how to respond. But that was ok, she just knew that Luffy considered her special. 

And she wasn't going to let herself disappoint him.


	6. Just A Regular Day Aboard The Going Merry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is more of a filler chapter that develops the relationship between Tani and the rest of the crew :)c

The final goodbye from the Straw hats to the people of Cokayashi village was a blend of humorous and infuriated. What with Nami avoiding saying goodbye to everyone, opting to run through the crowd, jump onto the sailing boat... And lifting her shirt to reveal the many wallets she had nabbed on her way over. 

Many tears fell and thanks were shared. The town was free and so was Nami. The ship sailed away, the island grew smaller and smaller until it was no longer in the view of the pirate crew. Nami clapped her hands to draw everyone's attention over to her. 

"alright crew, we should be on the course for reverse mountain. However we will be stopping at Loguetown to gather more supplies for the journey. It'll be our last stop on the east blue, so let's set sail," she informed and commanded. The boys all ran around the ship getting it ready for the journey ahead, while Tani stood still as a statue.

Since the week long party had ended, Tani had gotten enough sleep to heal most of her wounds. The only remaining wound being the bruise she'd gotten from Luffy, which was an accident he had apologized for a million times. Nami told her to take it easy, so Tani did just that. Walking to her spot on the ship and relaxing in the sunshine. 

....

It had been about 3 days later when the crew heard the shocked cry of Nami. The sound of her newspaper hitting the deck echoed over the ship. Tani, Luffy and Usopp paused their game of cards to investigate the problem. Nami stared wide eyed at a brownish piece of paper, which she revealed to the small crowd of onlookers. The grinning face of Luffy printed on a page with the caption.

"dead or alive. Monkey D Luffy... 30,000000 berri," Nami recited, she looked nervous. "Luffy! You're a wanted man now." she complained. Luffy looked elated at the news, giving his signature laugh as if he was proud of that achievement. Tani tapped Nami's shoulder and whispered so as to not disrupt the celebrations.

"so your telling me that Luffy now has some kinda bounty on his head? Does that mean the sea police are gonna be after him?" she asked, Nami groaned and face palmed. Turning to the clueless girl and nodding tiredly. Tani mouthed an "oh" back and turned to the cheering Luffy. He seemed stoaked about it, so she wouldn't want to ruin the fun. 

"Sanji! We need to celebrate with food, I want a feast!" Luffy cheered, Sanji rolled his eyes but did as the captain requested. Disappearing into the kitchen to begin working on his mammoth task. Tani went to follow him, maybe lend a hand since she knew he would be making a lot of mess with all the dishes he needed to prepare. The only obstacle being Luffy himself.

"hey Tani! Usopp and I are going fishing, you should join us." Luffy grinned, Usopp nodded in agreement. 

Tani shook her head, "I've never gone fishing in my life, I wouldn't know how to do it. Plus you look like you only have two rods," she said, slowly shuffling towards the kitchen. Luffy stood up and held out the rod he was holding 

"let's fish together then," he said, one of his hands grabbed hers and put it where his once was. The pair held it together, their hands totem poling up the rod. They sat next to each other, with the fishing rod inbetween them. Usopp moved over bit to make room for the third fisherman. 

Nothing really happened for the first couple of minutes. Tani almost felt bored if it hadn't been for Luffy and Usopp explaining how fishing worked, she would have fallen asleep... Then a fish bit the hook of her rod, she snapped out of her trance and pulled at the rod with the added strength of Luffy. The pair struggled against the fish, like a game of tug-of-war that Tani wasn't ready to lose. 

"Come on Luffy! Pull harder," the girl struggled, Luffy gave a strong tug. A splash from the water followed by the large shadow of a fish flying towards the pair of now toppled over teenagers indicated that the fish was now out of the water... That and the fact the fish slapped right into Tani's stomach, flopping around on top of her which caused the girl to freak out and throw the fish off herself. 

Luffy caught the fish but it slipped from his grasp and flopped back onto Tani. She threw the fish again, this time it smacked into Usopp and sent him over the edge of the boat. Losing both the sniper and the fish. Luffy was holding his stomach, laughing his ass off at the display. Tani was in the process of removing her shoes when Zoro walked over and tossed a rope ladder down. A small smirk on his face as if he found this all a little bit funny... Which it was but still! 

Usopp sputtered and spat the salt water he had inhaled, grumbling about falling off the boat. Tani giggled at the craziness of it all. Luffy held out a hand for her to grab, she accepted and he pulled her to her feet. 

"maybe next time. I should have my own rod," she laughed, Luffy shook his head in disagreement. 

"no way! That was way too fun. Let's go again," he said, grabbing the rod and shoving it into Tani's hands, she pushed it back into his. They repeated in their own game of tug-of-war. Usopp and Zoro watched with amusement. Tani turned to look at them, a look of begging in her eyes. They just stood back and grinned. She would have to get them back for this one day. 

"foods ready!" Sanji called out, like an angel from the heavens had come down to save the capped girl from her needy captain. Said captain released the rod and bolted for the kitchen. Tani stood there with the fishing rod in her hands. She turned to glare at the two men that watched her attempts at fending off the rubber man, but they had already made their way towards the feast that Sanji had prepared. With a sigh, Tani did the same. 

The room smelled mouth wateringly good. Sanji was the greatest gift on this ship! Tani sat beside Nami and began plating food for herself. There was a tension in the room, everyone was focused on Luffy who was shovelling plates upon plates of food into his mouth like a vacuum cleaner! Tani knew he had an appetite, but this was ridiculous. His wandering hands came flying towards everyone's plates, the crew armed themselves to protect their meals. 

Tani got away mostly unscathed. Having inhaled it as quickly as she could before he could lay a hand on her plate. Usopp wasn't so lucky, having almost half his food sent to the void that is Luffy's stomach. Tani thanked karma, hoping it would strike on Zoro soon. 

...

"woah! That's a huge fish!" Luffy cheered, reiling in the fish on his line. Tani was resting beside him, watching him fish. She had her Walkman playing in her ears, spacing out as the music lulled her. Luffy was too busy fishing to notice that she was wearing them. All was calm, not at all what she was expecting with a captain that has a bounty on his head. 

Now that she thought about it... There were still do many things she had yet to learn about this world and how it works. From the basics of berri as a currency, to the reason why pirates and... Marines? The sea police as she preferred to call them. It was all so familiar in an uncanny way. Concepts she could understand but we're just... Different.

"hey Luffy, quick question. Why did you become a pirate?" she asked curiously. Luffy turned to her, removing his hat and holding it in his hands with a fondness. 

"I wanna become the king of the pirates. I want to be the most free man in the whole world." he answered with pride and determination. Tani was left in awe. She enjoyed these little moments with Luffy, getting to learn about him and the world.

"alright then, how do you become the king of the pirates?" she continued asking, she needed to know more. 

"if you wanna be the king, you need to find the One Piece. Nobody's been able to find it since Gold Roger died. That's why I'm gonna find it, I'm gonna be the king." he declared. Tani shivered, this sounded all too familiar to the legendary treasure she made up for her game of pirates with the boys at school. Just imagine how cool it would be to be the king of the pirates! 

"I'm sure you will," Tani smiled. Luffy snickered back. "I wish we had something like that at home. Like imagine, Tani! King of the pirates," she motioned her hands in an arc shape to put emphasis on such a title. 

Luffy thought about it, the idea that Tani's world didn't have the One Piece was so strange to him. How would they have any rulers? All this thinking was making him hungry. 

"Oi Tani! Luffy! I made a new fishing rod so we can all fish together!" called Usopp while waving two fishing rods in his hands. Luffy's eyes gleamed, his cheering was loud and excited. Honestly Luffy has no inside voice, the guy is so loud he could scare off a giant sea cow. 

Usopp jogged towards the pair with an outstretched hand. Tani held out a hand and grabbed the rod he was holding out. Luffy was bouncing with joy. 

Tani turned back towards the sea... How do you fish again? She'd watched Luffy toss the line and return with a fish for the past hour or so... She held the rod in her hands, pulled her arms back and flicked the rod hard. The line went flying through the air before hitting the ocean with a plop. Usopp and Luffy did the same. A small grin flickered onto the girls face. 

"how about a game?" she suggested, both boys interests were peaked. "person who catches the biggest fish wins, losers need to do whatever the winner wants." she wagered. The champion in their eyes glistened. 

"they don't call me master fisherman Usopp for nothing! Now prepare to meet your doom!" Usopp proclaimed, Tani giggled. 

"careful, you'll scare the fish away with such an ego," she snickered. Turning her attention back to the game. She may not be a great fisherman, but she loved a good game. The looks of determination in their eyes made her feel the strength of this crew. It made her want to strive to be a better member of the crew. 

Something tugged at her line, her eyes widened and her grip around the rod tightened. The tug pulled hard against her. She heaved and pulled against the fish, this could be a big one! The fish was strong, it pulled so hard that Tani almost went flying off the boat. Luckily Luffy and Usopp grabbed her and helped her reil in the beast. 

One loud splash later, a pretty large fish was flopping around on the deck. Tani smiled at her catch, then shifted her face into a proud smirk. A face that screamed "beat that!" Usopp and Luffy hardened their looks, ready to catch a better fish. 

Needless to say, the group fished enough fish to feed an army. But the award for biggest fish goes to...

"I win! Captain Usopp is the ruler of the fish!" Usopp cheered with his foot resting atop the massive fish he hauled in, looking like a superhero or one of those old statues with a guy holding a flag. Tani laughed lightly, congratulating Usopp on his win. Luffy was super excited about all the fish they caught together. Hoping they could do something like that again some other day. 

"now as the winner! I get the prize of being your captain for the day!" Usopp snickered, Luffy turned to him in a huff. He went to protest but Tani held a hand out to stop him. She made the rules and they all agreed. So with a mock salute Tani readied herself for the many commands she would receive.

...

"I can't believe he made me take his night watch!" Tani complained, she was stupid to think that Usopp would be a merciful captain. But he was just a lazy ass that made the two losers do all his chores (though Sanji cleaned the dishes that Tani was set to do). Tani climbed up the rope ladder, climbing into the crows nest at the top of the boat. She had to admit that the view from up there was breathtaking. She sighed as the cold air began to chill her skin. Luckily the crew left a blanket in the nest for the night watchmen. It was a simple thing, but a kindness that she was grateful for. 

It was around 3 in the morning when Tani began to nod off. She wasn't much of a night owl, preferring to wake up early than stay up into the later hours... It was too lonely at night time. No other boats passed, no islands showed themselves. It was boring and lonely... And quiet.

It's funny how when someone is alone with their thoughts, many ugly feelings begin to arise from the depths of their mind. The memory of when she spent one night staying up late to comfort her crying mother after... Well... After he left. Tani felt her heart well up, why did she think about him? He didn't care about her and her mother! So why should she be thinking about that prick. 

She focused her thoughts on her mother. Her warm swampy eyes, akin to her own. The wild curly Afro her mum would style into space buns because she wanted to be "hip with the kids" as she stated. Tani wasn't blessed with such curls, though she wished she was. Oh and mums really great singing voice! Tani wasn't blessed with the angelic voice of her mother, she often compared her own singing voice to that of a wailing walrus. But boy did she love singing duets with her mum in the car. When Micheal Jackson or Queen started playing, you could bet your ass the Duo would be singing their lungs out. 

Tani snickered at the thoughts, she loved her mum. The women was her bestest friend in the world. Which is why she needed to get back to her, just to make sure she was doing well.

Tani was so focused on her thoughts that she failed to notice the straw hatted captain that was now wandering the deck. Only making his presence known when he climbed the rope ladder to greet the in thought girl. Who squeaked a little, before lazily waving and greeting him in return.

"why you up so early?" Tani asked curiously with a yawn. Luffy shrugged, he just wasn't tired right now so he thought he would just hang out with whoever was on watch. 

"you cold?" she asked him, opening the blanket a bit as an offering. Luffy scooted over and cloaked himself in the blanket he was offered. Shoulder to shoulder, legs pressed against each other. It was cosy and warm. Tani felt the urge to just fall asleep right now, but her duty as night watch was far too important. Maybe a story could help. "do you have any stories you can tell?" she asked aloud. 

Luffy hummed in thought, when a story popped into his mind. "how about the story of Gold Roger? The old king of the pirates," he suggested, Tani lazily nodded. Her head slumping a little. The story Luffy told was definitely exciting, but Tani was just too sleepy to really pay any attention. Her eyes would shut longer every time she closed them, until she fell asleep with her head resting on Luffy's shoulder. Luffy smiled at her sleeping form, and assuming her role as watchmen for the rest of the night.

...

"did you know you snore and drool in your sleep?" Luffy informed the groggy girl during breakfast. Tani gave him a glare, it was too early in the morning for this... She wasn't really a nice person in the morning if she had less than 6 hours of sleep, and the pirates life was an early morning one. 

"did you know that I'll kick your ass if you bother me again," she retorted, grabbing a plate from the bench before Sanji could hand them out. She didn't want to interact with anyone right now because if she snapped at the wrong person she could be kicked off the crew... It probably wasn't a good idea to snap at luffy then now that she thought about it. She walked out the door of the kitchen with a half finished plate of bacon and eggs, it was missing the eggs... So bacon and buttered toast. 

She sat against the wall next to the door of the kitchen. Groaning at herself for being such an ass towards Luffy, even if he didn't seem upset she felt like a jerk. Though... It felt nice not having to fend off Luffy's greedy hands from her food. 

From her spot she could see the three fishing rods resting against the railing. She smiled fondly, yesterday's fishing game on her mind. Fishing had been way more fun than she had expected. If the weather stayed nice maybe they could all go fishing again. 

The kitchen door creaked open, boots clacked against the wooden boards of the deck. Tani lifted her head to find Zoro towering over her. He gave her a lazy wave before walking to the back of the ship, probably to train... Or have a nap. Tani thought it might not be a bad idea to chill out in his company. She hadn't really talked to him much, but in the two or so weeks she'd known him she could tell he was loyal and very strong. 

Carrying her plate with her, Tani sat on the stairs and watched the man lift weights that no human should be able to lift... At this point she'd be desensitised to the absurdity of this world. He trained without a word, except maybe a grunt or two if he was getting tired. She found it mesmerising to watch him training so hard. The scar that ran up his torso being a reminder of his weakness. 

"Oi," Zoro broke the silence, Tani looked at his face. He waved her over, "mind giving me a hand here," he requested, Tani nodded. She stood up and walked towards the much taller man. 

"whatcha need?" she asked curiously. He dropped to the ground hands propping his body up... Oh my god! Is he gonna-

"sit in my back, I need the extra weight and you look heavy," he said, Tani looked at him in disbelief... Did he just call her fat? Or was that Tani the grouch talking? Her brows knitted together in anger, she crossed her arms but complied with the green haired man. Crossing her legs and sitting in his back, he began doing his push-ups. 

Zoro remained silent when training. Tani wanted to start a conversation but she didn't know what to talk about. Her eyes landed on the three sword sheaths with only one sword still remaining. A conversation bubbled in her brain. 

"why do you use three swords?" she asked, Zoro was silent for a couple more push-ups before opening his mouth. 

"because three swords are better than one," he replied, Tani snorted at his reply. 

"I thought that only applied to brains? I mean, what does the sword in your mouth even do? If you ask me, you should have one attached to you leg." she giggled, Zoro grunted at her attempts at humour. 

"that's just dumb! How would I walk?" he asked, Tani smirked when a devious idea popped into her mind. 

...

"this is stupid," Zoro commented. Tani finished clipping a single roller skate to the guys foot. She was surprised to find that they had a similar foot size... Now that she thought about it everyone had similar feet sizes. Maybe it was a world thing? She also grabbed a rope and tied one of the empty sheaths to his free leg. He held the other two sheaths in his hands, while the only sword he had was in his mouth. Tani laughed at the "four sword style" as she called it. 

"think of this as training, what if you find yourself in a situation when you need to use your legs?" she reasoned. Zoro rolled his eyes, pointing down at the one roller blade on his foot. 

"and what good will this do me?" he questioned. Tani honestly just wanted him to fly around like a headless chicken while flailing swords in the air. But that wouldn't be nice to say now would it. 

"um... Training?" she shrugged. He gave her a glare. Tani decided to make this more interesting.

"how about we have a battle? Only rule is you can't actually cut me with the sword in your mouth because I don't feel like embracing death until next Tuesday." she asked. Zoro's lips curled up in approval of this little challenge.

"put the other skate on. That should make things more even," he smirked. Bingo! She got him right where she want him! He may be a master with the swords, but she was a pro at skating. Even with a single shoe she could kick major behind! With a sweet smile and devilish eyes the girl nodded, clipping the shoe onto her foot. 

"let me just grab my yo-yo's then," she sounded as clumsy as she could. Before lifting her free leg and as if she was on a skateboard, propelled herself towards the stairs and grind railed down them. She faced him with a shit-eating grin and skated off to grab her yo-yo's. 

When she returned with her weapon of choice she almost burst into tears with laughter. Zoro was wobbling around trying to keep himself balanced. She twirled her yo-yo's to draw his attention to her. 

"ready?" she smirked, he gave her a hardened glare. She could see the concentration in his eyes, he was really serious right now which would have made her shake like a leaf... If he didn't look like an idiot with his "four sword style". He gave her a nod. 

The two charged at each other... Well Tani charged, Zoro awkwardly scooted around as he tried to keep balanced while also paying attention to his much faster and more skilled opponent. She attempted to aim for his bladed leg, but he was onto her. His sheathed leg flicking up and kicking the yo-yo flying the other direction. 

He striked with the sheaths in his hands, Tani narrowly dodged them thanks to her skills and his unbalanced form. 

Stretching her free leg, she swept the ground. Knocking Zoro off his balance completely, had it not been for the strength of the sheaths in his hands being used to prop himself up he would have smacked into the deck. Tani circled back to knock him down, mimicking that guillotine move she'd seen Sanji use once. Jumping high into the air with her free leg flying down to hit the downed swordsman's back. 

Zoro waited for just the right moment to make a move. His opponent may have had an advantage with mobility, but he had way more experience with combat. She was predictable. Her leg came crashing down fast, Zoro reacted by pushing himself off the ground and spinning so his sheaths would hit her away. 

What he didn't expect was the wide grin on the girls face. She tugged her hand away, a string he hadn't noticed attached to her index finger. His bladed leg moved with the tug of her hand. Zoro turned his attention to the yo-yo wrapped around his foot... And completely forgot about the guillotine leg aimed right for his back. 

Whack! 

The impact sent Zoro into the ground, he grunted and laid there for a moment. Tani jumped and cheered at her victory. Winning against a handicapped opponent wasn't really something she should have been proud of, but she'd seen Zoro fight before and he was a pro. She rolled over to him and held a hand out for him. He looked at her and gave her a smile, he had that proud dad look to him. Grabbing her hand she pulled him up. He fumbled a bit thanks to the skate still attached to his foot. 

"can you get this dumb shoe off my foot?" he asked tiredly. Very clearly sick of the skate. Tani helped him unclip the buckles on the skate and slip it off, laughing at his misery the whole time. 

"you know, for a first time rider. You weren't terrible," Tani complimented. Zoro's face lifted a bit. "I reckon if you had both skates, and practice a lot. You could possibly become a skilled skater." she continued her stream of compliments.

"your not bad when it comes to combat. I thought you had no combat experience until the Baratie?" Zoro observed. Tani crossed her arms and leaned against the railing of the boat. 

"I have been in fights before. They were mostly just fist fights at school because some jackasses thought it would be funny to pick on the one black girl in the yard," she monologued. Zoro had no idea what a school was, but nodded in acknowledgement of her skills. She breathed a laugh.

"well we're on a wanted ship now, and you have no real combat skills." Zoro stated bluntly, Tani glared at him with a pout. Her morning grumpiness creeping back. "it would be stupid not to train, and hone in the skills you already have. I'm sure the crew would be willing to help if you ask," he suggested.

Was Zoro trying to help her out? He always seemed so distant from everyone except Luffy and occasionally Sanji (but only when the two were bantering/insulting one another). She gave him a thumbs up.

"also... I'm never getting into those demon shoes again, so don't ask," he grumbled, Tani paused... Then burst into a hearty, gut clenching laugh. Zoro started yelling at her to shut up but she couldn't help it. The memory of Zoro flailing about was still fresh in her memories.

The rest of the crew sat in the kitchen with relaxed smiles as they listened to the laughing and general happiness of their most mysterious crew member. Luffy jumped from his seat and ran out the door to join the pair outside in all the fun they were having.

Just another day in the life of the straw hat pirates.


	7. The Calm Before The Storm... Never Mind There's The Storm I guess

"Oi! Nami, is that the island you were talking about?" Zoro called from the crows nest. Nami looked at the horizon to find an island made of stone with a huge town upon it. She smiled at the realization that this was indeed Loguetown. 

"make a course for that island! It's the one we're after," she commanded, everyone on the crew dropped what they were doing and took their positions to steer the ship on the right path. Tani still wasn't much help, since she really had no idea how to sail. So she observed Luffy, Zoro and Usopp running around to prep the sails. Sanji was with Nami, he steered the pole while Nami directed him. 

The ship was now on course for Loguetown. She'd heard that it was the last town before they would enter the Grandline, a wild and unpredictable strip of sea that hide the legendary One Piece that Luffy wanted to find. From what she'd learned about the Grandline, it sounded terrifying and deadly. Of course she would be safer with the crew than if she stayed behind on some island, but she didn't want to die before she got home. 

"alright crew! What's the plan?" Tani asked when everyone had finished preping the ship. Nami stepped forward and explained the plan. 

"Sanji and I are going to look for supplies, other than that everyone can go do their own thing... Just don't start any trouble." she glared at Luffy and Zoro. The pair didn't notice her jab at them. "we'll regroup before dusk," she declared. The group all nodded in agreement. 

Tani wandered to the front of the boat once the group split off, she watched the island draw closer. This would be the first island she's landed on, without the threat of being killed. At least she hoped... 

"hey Tani," Luffy greeted, he perched himself on his spot atop the figure head of the ship. "what are you gonna do when we get to the island?" he asked curiously. Tani thought about it for a moment.

"I don't know. I mean I have no money so I can't go shopping. I'm probably gonna just walk around and hope I don't get lost." she answered. Luffy hummed in response. "what about you? Got any plans captain?" Tani inquired.

"I'm going to find the place where they executed Gold Roger." he responded. Tani's eyes widened in surprise, well that's morbid... At least he has a goal, but Tani would pass on that activity. "this town was the place he was born and executed in... I wanna see what he saw before he died." Luffy said with determination. Tani admired that in him. 

...

The crew decided to split up and do their own things when they arrived on the island. Tani wandered around the crowded town for a while. Window shopping and avoiding any food based store. 

She walked through a certain street when she heard something familiar... She couldn't quite put her fingers on it but it was something she had heard before. Tightening the straps of her bag, the sound was made again? She shook the bag, there it was again! 

Tani moved into a lone alley way, she knew it was pretty dumb to do because pirates ran rampant around this world but she didn't want to be in the way of people. She slid her bag off her back and rummaged through it. Her hands brushed against the small metal bell she'd found a week earlier. The one that was silent when she last saw it. Shaking the once silent bell, it chimed... Why here though? 

The bell still in hand, the curious girl shook it while she walked. Sometimes it got louder, other times it got quiet. Her thoughts ran wild! Why was it making noises? What was waiting for her when she finished this game of hot and cold? Why did she have the bell in the first place? Her hopes were that she could find some answers as to why she was here and not home, but she didn't think that was likely.

The bell lead her down an alley way that was far away from the main street. The area was quiet and devoid of life... Except for the cheery music of a convenience store... How the hell was there a convenience store during the pirate period? With electricity to boot! Tani stared at the sliding doors of the store front. It looked like a seven eleven from the outside. She put on a brave face and walked through the door, the same sound the bell made being heard when she entered. 

The place had this other worldly feeling, like how she imagined a pocket dimension felt in a sci-fi movie. She wandered around a bit, finding aisles of snacks, knickknacks and other miscellaneous items. It was like a mini Walmart mixed with a seven eleven... It felt strange, like a mix of home but wrong? 

"just browsing are we?" a silky smooth voice spoke from across the store. Tani lifted her eyes to stare into the face of a... Person? They looked human enough but held an air similar to this enter store... Otherworldly. 

"just browsing," she parroted. The person giggled, but left her alone. Tani looked at the price of each item. The currency was something she had never seen before. It wasn't berri or money. Confused and a little concerned about how long she's been in the store, Tani made her way back towards the entrance when the voice of the mystery cashier spoke again. 

"not buying anything?" they sounded dissapointed. Tani shook her head. 

"I don't have any money," she explained. The cashier giggled again. 

"what do you mean? You're rolling in it," they stated, pointing at the right pocket on Tani's jacket. Her hand dipped into the pocket, clasping what felt like a credit card? She lifted it up and showed it to the cashier. 

"what is this? What is this place?" she asked curiously, the person giggled again. 

"this is your local IDCS, for all your inter-dimensional needs. Need a taste of home? Some common conveniences? Then IDCS is the place for you. Just listen to your IDCS bell to find the closest store to you." the cashier recited like an infomercial. Tani blinked for a moment as the information processed itself into her brain. Well that cleared up a bunch of things! Confirmed others and provided her with a bucket full of new questions. 

"so how many credits do I have on this card?" she asked, handing the cashier the card. They looked at it and smiled. 

"translated into your dimensions currency your credit worth is $5000," they answered merrily. Tani felt her mouth drop. No way! There was no way! How did she earn that much money!? But with this new information Tani ran straight to the drinks aisle and grabbed a raspberry fanta, then grabbed a box of roll ups and a chocolate block. Slammed them on the counter with a smile and proceeded with the purchase.

The cashier magicked up a plastic bag with a little bell attached to it. The bell jingled in a similar fashion as the one she arrived with. Tani turned to leave the store, she smiled and waved at the cashier, who smiled and waved back.

It took Tani a while to get back to the main street, the clouds had begun to dull as if it was about to rain. Maybe she should have grabbed an umbrella? She was certain she would find that store or one like it again in the future. She shrugged and walked into the street with her bag swinging beside her. Not really paying attention to where she was going, she found herself in what looked like the town square.

A massive fountain was in the centre, but that wasn't the most strange thing she found. No that would have to be the large platform that stood high and mighty over the people below. She looked at it with that same curiosity she'd had all day. 

She sat by the fountain, opening the bottle of raspberry fanta and taking a quick mouthful. God she missed the sweet fizziness of a good ol' raspberry fanta. Delight spread over her face.

"get down from there!" the sound of a tired man groaned nearby. Tani lifted her head towards the man, he looked like wolverine from the X-men if he had white hair and didn't wear an ugly yellow and blue suit. He had two cigars in his mouth, and an open jacket that exposed his muscular torso. She turned her gaze to where he was yelling... To find Luffy climbing up the metal bars holding up the platform. Tani rolled her eyes and facepalmed. 

"Luffy! What are you doing?!" she shouted at the boy, both Luffy and the man looked at the shouting girl. The man gave her a quizzical look whilst Luffy waved his hand wildly at her.

"I'm gonna see the world the way Gold Roger did before he died!" he said before turning back to climb higher. The man who had yelled at him before groaned, his arms started to go a misty white colour. Tani stared in awe at this... Luffy being Luffy ended up accidentally stretching and slingshoting himself across town because of course he did. Tani stood still, looking at the spot Luffy was a moment ago. The misty man growled but calmed, turning his attention to the darker skinned girl to ask some questions.

"excuse me kid, do you have any idea who that other kid is?" he asked grumpily. Tani rubbed at her forehead.

"just my idiot captain sir," she answered politely, it felt like talking to a police man... Oh wait, she looked at the jacket the man was wearing and found a patch labelled "marine". Oh dear...

"captain?" he repeated, his eyes darkened. Oh good god!

"yea, that's what we call him. Really he's just the leader of our small group, we're travellers of the..." she cursed herself for forgetting the name of the ocean they were on, what was it? Something blue... Blue..."the blue sea sir," she stated, she wasn't lying after all. 

The man looked into her eyes, reading them. He puffed a cloud of smoke and rubbed at his forehead tiredly. 

"can you keep the kid outta trouble, I have enough of a problem with pirates. Don't need dumb kids added to the mix," he asked her, she saluted him and with that he walked off with a trail of smoke following behind him. She shivered when he left, all the tension leaving her. He was bad news for the crew... Better keep an eye on that guy. 

Sitting back down on the edge of the fountain she found her gaze staring at the top of the platform. The idea that someone had been executed there was so ancient to her. That was something they did 300 or so years ago during revolutions. Her hands brushed against her neck at the thought of a guillotine snapping down against it. 

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, she was being watched. She tilted her head around in search of the culprit. Yet she couldn't pinpoint who it was. She kept looking around, this time a bit more frantically. Nothing... Maybe it was all in her head? She hoped so. 

Tani grabbed her bottle of fizzy and took a few sips to calm her nerves. Luffy had found his way back to the town square. Spotting Tani drinking something Redish-pink from a clear bottle shape. He didn't think she drank alcohol? Maybe he was wrong.

"Tani!" he called to her. She jerked her head around in a frightful manner, her eyes as wide as plates. Luffy ran to her side, something was up and he wanted to help. 

"oh hey moron, you know that guy from before was a poli- I mean marine right?" she tilted her thumb in the direction the marine had walked away. "you're lucky he didn't think you were a pirate, or he'd have our heads," she complained. Luffy tilted his head as if that didn't register in his brain. Tani groaned, she was on edge. That's all... Just a bit paranoid.

"well I'm gonna climb to the platform again, wanna join?" he asked with a grin. Tani shook her head. 

"not a fan of heights, so I'll pass thanks," she giggled lightly. A thought crossed her mind. She dug through her bag and found the camera that magically appeared. "how about I take a photo of you?" she asked happily. 

Luffy nodded, climbing up the support beams, onto the platform. Tani held out the camera, Luffy smiled for the picture. 

Click! 

Tani gave him a thumbs up, the rubber man tilted his head to look over the view. Whispering to himself about seeing the world from the pirate kings final perspective. It was quite the sight! It was like he could see the whole town from here. 

"hey Luffy," a feminine voice called out to the rubber man. Tani looked to her side to find an extremely attractive women, like she was a Victoria secrets model she looked so attractive. "remember me?~" she asked with a seductive undertone. Tani didn't like that very much, nope not at all. 

"who are you? I've never seen you in my life lady," Luffy shouted back. The women next to Tani grew visibly angry. She swung the huge ass spiked mace in her hand, up onto her shoulder. Barely skimming past Tani's face. Was that... Was that a threat? Well it didn't work because Luffy didn't look fazed at all. 

"no seriously I have no idea who you are, can you go away?" he asked with irritation. The women smirked. 

"well if you want to be the pirate king so bad, why didn't you say so!" an obnoxious voice called from atop the platform. Tani watched in horror as a wooden slab was slammed over Luffy's head and hands. His eyes widened in surprise but he had no fear in them. Tani felt hands grab her, holding her in place to watch the... It was a clown! What nasty sewer did this guy crawl out of? 

"Buggy?" Luffy sounded confused at the appearance of the clown guy. The women with the mace brushed at her hair and waltzed closer to the platform. 

"don't forget about me strawhat~" she cooed, Tani scoffed at the women's tone. It just felt gross having some grown ass women being all... Ew towards Luffy. She pulled at the hands holding her back, the goons jerked her back. They were way stronger than she was. 

"still don't know who you are lady!" Luffy commented. The women growled, flicking her hair again. "who's the most beautiful women on the East Blue?~" she cooed.

"you miss Alvida!" the men in the area choired. She smirked and looked back at Luffy. His eyes widened with realisation. 

"oh Alivda! Wow you're not as fat and ugly as before." he commented, Tani looked at the women then back at Luffy. So he did know her. The last comment he made, royally pissed her off. She lifted her mace and held it above Tani's head. All colour drained from the girls face as the shadow of the massive mace loomed oh so close to her head. 

"you little brat! You wouldn't want your little lady friends face to be splattered across ground now would you?~" she threatened with a small giggle. Tani felt sweat drip down her face, keeping her eyes locked onto Luffy's that were staring into hers. She knew things would turn out alright. This was Luffy, he was her captain. He wouldn't let her die. 

"Alvida can you be quiet! This is an execution after all!" said Buggy with a maniacal laugh. Unsheathing a massive sword, and raising it above his head. 

"Luffy!" the voices of Sanji, Zoro and Tani screamed. Tani face the two crewmates that had run into the town square. Zoro held three katanas? He must have bought some new ones. Sanji was just Sanji, not that anything was wrong with that. Luffy laughed.

"well, I'm sorry guys! But I'm already dead," he grinned, smiling in the face of death. Tears prickled at the corners of Tani's eye. The blade sliced through the air, aiming for the neck of the smiling Luffy. 

"NO!" Tani screamed at the top of her lungs. The clouds darkened, a strong wind blew through the thick curls of the horrified girls. Time seemed to slow the closer the blade got to the jolly captain, mere centimetres from his neck. 

A flash of blinding light followed by the crackling boom of thunder struck the platform. The impact of the blow blew everyone in the square back a couple feet. Tani landed back first into the fountain, her body submerged in the water. When she resurfaced and hacked up the water she swallowed, she stared wide eyed at the now obliterated platform... And Luffy's unharmed self. The boy brushed off his vest and walked away without a scratch! He was seconds from dying, yet here he is acting like nothing happened. Her ears stopped ringing from the lightning strike, the sound of conflict surrounded her. She felt like a deer in the headlights. Her focus only coming back to her when Luffy grabbed her shoulders and slung her over his shoulder. 

"Zoro! Sanji! Let's go!" he instructed the fighting pirates, both nodded and bolted for the docks. Luffy laughed the whole time, Tani shook her head and slapped her cheeks. The fresh rain sprinkled upon her face. 

Tani watched as a smokey mist began pursuing them. Her eyes widened with realisation. It was the marine from earlier! He was catching up to them fast, Luffy being the closest. She knew she was slowing him down, she'd seen him run around the ship before. 

"Luffy let me down, I'm slowing you down." she requested, he ran faster to catch up with Zoro and Sanji. It was like he didn't notice the smoke marine chasing the "I can run," she informed. 

Luffy uncoiled the arm holding Tani slowly, easing her into an upright position while still running. He kept an arm around her shoulders until she was running at a reasonable pace. Letting go and running as fast as he could with Tani trailing behind. 

"get back here pirates!" the smoke marine demanded, his smoke closing in on Tani. Luffy grabbed her hand and pulled her along at a much faster pace, out running the smoke that seemed to be slowed down significantly by the rain in the air.

When the crew made it to the docks, they watched as the Going Merry washed away with the violent waves. Tani was surprised to see that the smoke man had vanished? She couldn't see the misty smoke at all. 

"the ships started sailing!" Sanji called to the others following behind him. 

"we're not gonna make it!" Tani shouted. The ship was already sailing away, there was no way they could get on the ship. The storm was making the waves go crazy! They couldn't swim to it, nor could they grab another boat as they would surely drown. Luffy let go of her hand and acted quickly.

"Gum gum!" Luffy called, his right arm stretched towards the boat. His left curled like a hook, Zoro's eyes widened with realisation. Sanji grabbed Tani by the waist, the girl looked confused.

"Rocket!" Luffy shouted, his body flinging forward. His left arm hooked the three crew members, flying them across the ocean at an incredibly fast speed. Tani hugged Sanji and screamed as the wind whipped her face. The landing was rough, though Sanji softened the blow by using himself as a pillow for the girl. 

"Luffy!" Zoro complained, smacking the captain over the head. Luffy laughed in response. Usopp and Nami ran out of the steering room to check the deck. Breathing with relief at the sight of their nakama alive on the ship. Sanji held Tani in his arms, checking over her to see if she was hurt at all. She was fine, just a little shaken but not harmed.

"Luffy you moron! You could've hurt Tani!" Sanji scolded. Luffy waved his hand and apologised. Tani waved her hands in Sanji's face.

"I'm fine I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me," she assured the concerned cook. He still held her in his arms until Zoro called him a "Pervy cook" and the two started bickering. Tani snickered at the two, they were like brothers in her opinion. 

Tani had just about had it with today. First she found an inter-dimensional convenience store, then she almost witnessed her captain get his head cut off French revolution style by a clown pirate! And now she was recovering from being launched across the ocean by said captain. Would she ever get used to this world? She knew she had to before they made it to the Grandline. She needed to be a reliable member of the crew, she needed to be useful.

"everyone! Gather round," Nami called out to the crew, they stood around a lone barrel. She smiled at everyone, "we're on the path to the Grandline, so here. On this day. We are going to vow to follow our dreams," 

"I'm going to draw a map of the whole world," Nami stated with pride, lifting her leg and placing it atop the barrel. 

"I'm going to become a brave warrior of the sea," Usopp followed, placing his foot next to Nami's.

"I'm going to be the world's greatest swordsman," Zoro said, doing as the others had. 

"I'm going to find the All Blue," Sanji joined. His foot set next to Zoro's.

"I'm going to be the king of the pirates!" Luffy declared, his foot proudly displayed atop the barrel. 

The crew looked at Tani with waiting eyes, she stared at them in thought. What was her dream?..

"I'm going to learn why the universe decided to transport me here," she decided, lifting her foot and placing it beside Luffy's. 

Nami lifted her leg up into the air, as if she was about to smash the barrel. The other followed her lead. 

"Too fulfilling our dreams!" the crew cheered, bringing their legs down and obliterating the unfortunate barrel. The crew laughed and celebrated the beginning of their next adventure. 

...

The storm had cleared, now revealing the night sky. Tani was having a hard time sleeping, her mind raced with all the questions she couldn't answer, and the stress of the day as a whole. The others were enjoying themselves with a party, a common trend now that she thought about it. Maybe if she celebrated with people more, she would have friends. 

She shook her head at herself, these people were her friends! Or nakama as Luffy would say. It still felt weird being called something so special. She wanted to accept it, she really did but it just felt like she wasn't worthy of such a status. Her own insecurities would be her down fall if she kept being so negative. She took a deep breath to clear her head.

"You're missing out on the party!" a cheery voice called from the now open door of the kitchen, Luffy half hanging out the door. Tani looked at him with a solemn smile.

"be right there, just needed a breather," she waved him off, but the pout on the boys face showed he wasn't buying it. He stomped to her side and sat beside her. "I'm fine, honest," she assured him. Luffy crossed his arms and pouted even harder. Tani sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"look... I nearly watched you get killed today, and need some time alone to process that." she explained, he dropped the pout and gave her a blank expression. She wanted to hug him, just to reconfirm to herself that he was still alive even if she knew he was. So she did just that. Her arms wrapped around his upper torso, she pressed herself against him. His heart was beating, his lungs were breathing. He was as alive as could be. "I'm just glad you didn't die," she whispered quietly. Luffy snickered, hugging her back to further assure her that he wasn't dead. 

"you seem to like giving hugs a lot," Luffy observed aloud, Tani tensed and let go. Her cheeks a shade of pink darker, but the night concealed it. She slapped at her cheeks. 

"oh uh yea haha, guess it's just a comfort thing? I've always been a clingy person," she explained. Luffy snickered, hugging tighter. 

"if it means you'll feel better, I'll always be there for you to hug," he promised, Tani felt her heart skip a beat. Her arms looped back around Luffy, her head rested on his shoulder. 

"thanks," she mumbled into his shoulder, she felt better already. Luffy just gave really good hugs, not to loose but not too tight. It was comfortable and safe, two things that this world seemed to lack. "you're the best," she whispered. 

She pulled away, rubbing at her eyes. "how about we go rejoin the party?" she smiled, Luffy nodded. His arm around her shoulder, the pair entered the dining room to rejoin the crew. Everyone spent the rest of the night being happy in one another company. Not caring about the harsh world awaiting them.


	8. Welcome To The Grandline! Have A Whale Of A Stay

The crew woke up pretty early that morning, mainly to clean up after the party and rain storm from yesterday. Tani decided to mop the deck, using her skates to get it done faster. She had much better control of her skates in this world than she did back home. It's pretty weird, it's the same with battle and movement. Physics as she had once known it was pretty much out the window. Not that she was complaining, it made moving way less sluggish than back home. 

Tani had her headphones on, blasting music as she zoomed around the deck. The song playing happened to be a particularly funky one, encompassing her generation perfectly. Her movements flowing with the beat of the song. She almost resisted the urge to sing along... But when the song is 

"wake me up before you go-go" she sang, twirling with the mop in her hands flying around like a baton. "don't leave me hangin on like a yo-yo!" the lyrics embedded in her memories from all the solo performances she had done into her hair brush and wooden spoons. 

"wake me up before you go-go! Cause I ain't planning on goin solo!" she sang louder. Locked in her own little world, she continued skating around like the deck was her stage. Kicking off walls and jumping over the stairs. The mop acted as her mic, her fingers clicked with the beat. 

"wake me up before you go-go! Take me dancing tonight!" she finished, holding the word tonight for as long as she could. When the song ended, she returned to her senses... And found Luffy and Usopp staring at her wide eyed. Her face burst into a fiery red, she proceeded to shuffle away from them. Breaking into a sprint towards the girls cabin.

"Usopp! Did you see that!? She can sing, maybe she's a musician?!" Luffy exclaimed with excitement. Usopp disagreed, she was way too flustered after they caught her singing... Whatever it was she was singing. 

"I don't think so, maybe she was singing along with whatever that device was playing." Usopp thought aloud, his hand rubbing his chin in thought. Luffy looked confused, he thought that the things on her ears were ear muffs to make her warmer. Now that he thought about it, they did have a string attached to something that she always has in her pocket. 

"we should ask her about it," Luffy decided. Running in the same direction that she had run. Usopp ran to follow, but his foot got stuck in the bucket of soapy water that Tani left out for mopping. Luffy called Tani's name as he ran around the ship, Tani squeaked and ran away from where the voice called from. How could she talk to her captain with a straight face after he watched her sing like a banshee on the deck!? She couldn't that's what! 

Luffy was confused, why was she running away? He just wanted to ask her about the singing. It wasn't bad, and he'd never heard that song before. He needed a musician for his crew anyway. Maybe she could play an instrument too! Luffy excited himself more and more with every second. 

Tani found the girls cabin, bursting through the door and slamming it closed. Which was probably a dumb idea but she was too embarrassed to think about it. Pressing her back against the door, she held her Walkman in hand and felt her cheeks heat up more. The clapping of Luffy's sandles caused the girl to clap her hands over her mouth to quiet her breathing, like she was in a horror movie. 

"Tani! Tani where are you?! Are you a musician? Can you play an instrument?! Where are you?" he yelled through the halls. 

"Can you shut up! I'm trying to relax!" Nami shouted at Luffy, who went quiet for about two seconds before shouting for Tani to reveal herself. The girl wanted to crawl into a hole and sleep there for eternity. She slapped at her cheeks to calm herself down a bit... Big mistake.

The door she was leaning on burst open, pressing her into the wall behind said door. Maybe if Luffy was an idiot he wouldn't notice her. He walking into the room, not checking behind the door. Tani held her breath and slowly, very slowly... Very very slowly shuffled around the door without drawing attention to herself while Luffy looked around the room. 

"Tani! Stop hiding..." Luffy pouted with his face pressed on the floor, looking under Tani's bed. Tani passed the door frame into the hallway, taking a breath of relief. Luffy spun his head to face her. Shit! She thought, going to run but didn't get far as the rubber man's arms tangled around her waist and pulled her back into the room. She struggled in his grasp, but like a snake his arms coiled around her tighter. 

"found you," he sounded happy with himself. Tani's arms were trapped so she couldn't pull herself out of his hold. "are you a musician? Can you play an instrument?" he repeated his questions from before. The girl sighed, her head slumped forward. 

"I'm not a musician, and I can't play an instrument, why you asking?" she answered. Luffy seemed disappointed.

"a pirate crew isn't complete without a musician. I can't be the pirate king without a musician," he explained, his hold on Tani remained, "and you were singing, so I thought you might be a musician," he reasoned. Tani felt like exploding, could she just combust right then and there? 

"sorry to disappoint... Can you let go now? You're choking me," she asked breathlessly with a cough. Luffy blanked out for a moment, loosening his hold on her. She dropped to her knees and took in a huge gulp of air. The girl then stood up and walked towards the door. "uh... Can you just pretend that never happened... Like the whole me singing thing?" 

"why? You were great! And pirates are meant to sing," Luffy answered, Tani blinked in thought. That was a thing, hell she sang a few pirate shanties when playing pirates with those boys back home. Oh... Luffy must have thought she was being ridiculous. 

Luffy went to speak again, but the sound of Nami screaming pulled both of their attentions to Nami. The pair ran outside to find the sails completely slacked, even the waves had stopped. The boat wasn't moving at all. 

"We entered the calm belt!" Nami panicked, grabbing her hair and pulling at it in stress. Everyone gathered around her. 

"what's that?" Tani asked. Nami turned to everyone with fear in her eyes. 

"it's the two strips of ocean that surround the Grandline, it has no wind! No waves! You get stuck in it, you're as good as dead!" she roared with frustration. The crew flinched at her rant. "it's also full of seakings!" she added. 

Usopp paled, his legs shaking. "se-sea-Seakings!" he stuttered, hiding behind Zoro who was just standing around without a care in the world. 

"does the boat have any other ways to get itself moving? Like I understand not having a motor or whatever they use to make metal boats move, but wouldn't there be some way to move?" Tani questioned, after all if this calm belt was a potential threat then why wouldn't the plan have thought ahead? Then again they might not have thought about getting stuck in something like this. 

"You have boats made of metal? That's awesome!" Luffy cheered, his focuses not on the problem at hand apparently. Nami pushed Luffy out of Tani's face. 

"the wind is all we have, we're stuck in this pirate graveyard," Nami said with a defeated attitude. Tani leaned against the railing of the boat. 

"can we just push the boat? Like swim it to safety?" Tani asked.

"and risk getting eaten by a seaking? No thanks," Usopp responded. Zoro looked down in thought, was he actually considering that idea? 

The boat rocked back and forth, waves generated underneath the lone vessel. Tani lost her balance and fell overboard, her hand catching the railing. She dangled helplessly over the boat, staring into the jet black eye of a massive monster. Her screams could have been heard from the heavens, she'd seen Jaws before but that shark was nothing compared to this beast. It's eye was larger than she was, the pupil focused on her small form. She was frozen with a mix of fear and fascination. 

The creatures eyes watered, the bottom lid shakily closed up. The boat jumped around like a kid on a bouncy castle. The jerking and tossing made it much harder for Tani to keep her hold on the rail, her other hand flying up to grab the rail for extra support. She stared up at the boat, too low to see what was happening on deck. 

"Where's Tani?!" Luffy called in a panic. 

"over here!" she called back with just as much panic. A pair of strong hands grabbed her wrists and threw her back onto the deck. The girl looked up to find Zoro beside her. She silently thanked the swordsman, she owed him something now. For now! Maybe it would be a good idea to hold onto something while the boat keeps shaking. 

Tani laced her arms around the railing, only this time she wasn't dangling overboard like helpless idiot.  The boat bounced higher and higher until... The monster sneezed? The boat flew through the air, skipping along the ocean like a skipping stone. 

Usopp went flying off the boat, saved by the rubber noodle that is Luffy's arm. When the ship stopped flying through the air, the Usopp kite came crashing head first into the winded Tani. Sending them both over the railing into the ocean below. The pair resurfaced spitting and sputtering the salty water from their lungs. 

"I'm about ready to whoop the oceans ass right about now," Tani coughed as she climbed the rope ladder onto the deck. "it's like the universe wants me to fall off the boat and drown, we'll not today you good for nothing-" she rambled. Being cut off by Nami.

"we're out of the calm belt, which means we're close to reverse mountain." she informed. Tani wasn't paying much attention, squeezing the water out of her hair. Nami had stated that many times now, it's like she believes they'll forget it. 

A towel was draped over the wet girl's shoulders, Sanji stood beside her with that dumb face he sometimes has around women. Tani loved the guy, but he sometimes has the dumbest faces when interacting with women. Tani gave him a thankful smile, and the guy spun on his heels like a ballerina spouting just how cute and lovely she was. 

"wait is that it?" Usopp pointed towards a large mountain looming in the distance. Nami turned to face the direction he was pointing. Her face lit up. 

"that's it! Head that way," she commanded. Tani decided she wanted to get changed into something dry. Making her way into her room to switch into a new shirt and shorts. Her jacket was soaked, and denim takes forever to dry! She grumbled. Grabbing her windbreaker instead, she needed more clothes now that she thought about it. Nami grabbed her some from Lougetown, but it wasn't enough. 

Leaving in her fresh attire, Tani looked up at the huge mountain the boat had sped towards. The water flow was crazy! Flowing up like a water ride from some theme park. A giddy feeling mixed with the worry that they were going up a mountain. Luffy looked just as excited, if not a bit more so. 

The closer they got, the harsher the waves grew. Tossing the boat left and right violently, it was difficult for Nami to get a clear view of where the boat needed to be for them to pass the gate safely. They made it to the gate, but a wave slammed into the side of the boat, pushing it towards the rocky cliff side. The rudder snapping in the process.

"We're gonna die!" Usopp and Nami screamed at the same time, holding onto each other in tears. Luffy ran to the side of the boat that was about to collide with the mountain. Jumping over the railing.

"Gum Gum Balloon!" he shouted, his body inflated like a balloon. Tani stared wide eyed at him, he looked hilarious! But it worked. His body bounced the ship back onto course. Tani ran over to grab him before he fell in the water, her hands clasped around the closest limb to her. Whipping him back onto the boat with a thud. The pair laid on the ground, laughing at the wildness of the situation. 

"you can inflate like a balloon, that's so weird man," Tani laughed, Luffy held a hand out to her and pulled her onto her feet. Luffy climbed onto his favourite spot on the ship, cheering excitedly as the ship flowed higher and higher up the mountain. 

The whole crew was in a good mood. This was a pretty big moment for the crew, the Grandline was the key to achieving their dreams. They all looked ready to take on and conquer this beast of an ocean together.

"I see the top!" Luffy cheered, everyone rushed to where Luffy was perched. Tani pulled her camera out of her bag and waited for just the right moment to take a picture. Positioning herself so the whole crew was in the frame. 

Click! 

She snapped the shot, the ship hit the top of the mountain. It was a breathtaking view, Tani felt as if she was on the top of the world... Then the ship started making its way down the mountain. Imagine riding a rollercoaster ride without the safety bars and seat belts. It was thrilling and terrifying at the same time. The water sprayed in their faces, Tani let out a loud cry of mixed emotions. 

"hold on! What that large thing in front of the opening?!" Usopp pointed out, his goggles pulled over to prevent the water spray from hitting his eyes. Everyone stared in horror at the blackish blue wall standing before their path. There was no way they could slow down to avoid it, and they couldn't turn because of the rudder being destroyed. Luffy hadn't moved from his spot on Merry's head, so as the ship sped towards the wall Tani jumped up and hooked her arms around his waist and pulled him backwards. He landed atop her with all his weight, knocking the air out of the girl underneath. 

The front of the boat slammed into the wall, throwing everyone forward. The masthead flew onto the deck, almost crushing Usopp. The flow of water from the mountain pushed the boat around the huge wall blocking the way. The ship managed to survive, as did the crew upon it... Barely. 

Luffy pushed himself off Tani, stomping his feet towards the side of the ship. Sanji ran over to Tani's aid, helping her stand up while looking over her as he always did if she had any potential injuries. 

"Stupid wall! You destroyed my seat!" Luffy ranted, stomping his feet and punching the air in a childish tantrum... Then the wall opened its eye... It's huge eye! Tani felt like she was going to pass out at this point, she was so sick of huge sea monsters! Slumping into Sanji's arms, earning a string of compliments and coos from the lovesick cook. 

"Gum Gum!" Luffy wound up his arm, Tani jumped out of Sanji's arms to stop Luffy. Her hands skimmed over his shoulders, "Pistol!" he shouts, slamming his fist into the exposed eye of the sea monster. Tani collided into Luffy's back, both of them falling to the floor once again. Tani was surprised she didn't have a concussion at this point with all this head smacking. 

"What have you done, you idiot!" Tani shouted at Luffy while rolling off him. The straw hatted boy looked pissed off, his eyes scared the ever loving daylights out of her. 

The pair didn't have time to argue, as the low rumbling of the creature rippled through the water. The boat pulled with the newly formed current, a crack in the monster opened... Oh shit! 

"that's a mouth!" Tani cried, the boat pulled past a row of sharp teeth. Usopp attached himself to Zoro's body in a panicked state, Zoro attempted to pull the cowardly sniper off but he was just too strong. Sanji pulled Tani and Nami towards himself to "protect them"... From what? The huge ass whale eating them right now? She didn't say anything, she was still annoyed with Luffy's reckless action.

Speaking of of Luffy, where the hell was- Tani turned to find Luffy had sling shot himself onto one of the whales teeth. Shouting at the beast to stop, which it didn't. Instead it started slowly closing it's mouth. Luffy flung himself out of the mouth, onto the top of the whale to fight it. Tani held onto Sanji and Nami for comfort, the trio clinging to each other. Sanji felt himself thanking the heavens for this gift. If he died right there and now, he wouldn't be too upset. 

The light from outside disappeared. The boat flowed through the darkness, Tani clung tighter to Sanji and Nami. Zoro and Usopp managed to move closer to the trio, grouping together for security. 

"I.. I see a light!" Usopp cried, everyone strained their eyes to look at the light at the end of the tunnel. The light blinded them for a moment, their eyes adjusted to the change in lighting to find a wide space of green water and a single island floating in the middle of it. Sailing closer to the island they found themselves getting attacked by a giant squid. Tani groaned aloud, Sanji smushed her and Nami together so he could fight the squid. Zoro was already shoving one of his swords into his mouth.

The pair were ready to fight, when a harpoon shot straight through the squids head. A shiver ran down Tani's spine. The squid was slowly pulled back towards the island. An oldish man stood outside the door of the little house, said man walked over to a deck chair and sat on it as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Zoro took charge of the situation, as he should since Tani was certain he was the first mate. 

"Oi! Old man, how do we get outta here?" Zoro shouted from the boat. The old man remained silent for a moment, probably for dramatic effect. 

"the door over there," he pointed at the huge ass door way to the left of the crew... How did they not see it?! 

"well can you open it?" Zoro asked, the man paused again. 

"yea sure," he replied, standing from his chair and sailing his little island to a ladder that was next to the huge door. The crew sighed with relief as they sailed closer to the exit. However the whole place started shaking violently, Tani could feel her breakfast crawling up her throat from all this tossing around. The man looked distressed, talking to himself but not loud enough for the crew to hear. 

The man ran through the small door connected to the platform he was standing on. Leaving the Strawhats (minus one) to fend for themselves in the green sea. 

"the next time I see Luffy, I'm gonna strangle his stupid neck!" Tani declared, getting smacked into Nami and rolling along the deck like the sack of potatoes she was! Because the Grandline hated her for some reason! 

As if the lords above had heard her declaration, Luffy came flying out of the door near the platform, plus two others randoms. Luffy launched his arm towards the ship, grabbing it.

"Gum Gum Rocket!" he called, flying towards the boat. Everyone cleared the way so he wouldn't hit anyone. He skidded across the deck with a pleased smile. 

Thwack!

Luffy found himself face first into the ground, a foot placed on his head to keep him from getting up. 

"You're an idiot! A total moron! A spazz! Why would you even think "oh wow wouldn't it be a brilliant idea to oh I dunno, punch a giant ass eye!" you bloody!-" she ranted, being pulled away by Zoro, who tossed the kicking and screaming girl over his shoulder. Effectively restraining her. 

The whole crew shut up, watching Luffy's reaction. He pushed himself off the ground, his hat shadowed his eyes. He shook... With laughter? He burst into laughter.

"sorry everyone," he apologised, Tani groaned. What a half-arsed apology! She didn't think she could look at Luffy for the rest of the day without wanting to go for a round two on whooping his ass. Everyone's attention was on their idiot captain, so they didn't pay much attention to the two stowaways boarding the ship.

The man from before walked back out of the door looking tired. His eyes spotting the two extras on the boat, as he went to speak the pair started laughing and whipped out some bazookas because why the hell not! Where did they pull them from? Who knows! 

The pair shot towards the whales insides, the man jumped in front of the two shots taking both right to the chest. The crew stared wide eyed at the man, then towards the pair. Tani moved to her pockets to grab her yo-yo's... They were in her other jacket. The Duo were pointing their weapons at the whales insides again, then Nami slammed their heads together. Knocking them out. 

...

"so you see, Laboon has been waiting for 50 years for their return. Every day he smashes his head into the mountain, trying to break it down so he can find them again." the man now known as Crocus explained. The crew listened to the heartbreaking tale, feeling pity towards the whale who so desperately wanted to reunite with his friends. 

After explaining the story of Laboon, the Strawhat pirates sailed out the exit. The crisp fresh air filled their lungs, the breeze cooled their skin. 

"so what'll we do about these stowaways?" Usopp asked, only to watch Luffy lift them up and toss them overboard. Dusting his hands off while walking to stand beside Zoro, who still had Tani dangling from his shoulder. 

Luffy smiled at the girl, who returned his friendly gesture with a glare and huff. Luffy poked at her cheek, the girl pulled her face away as far as she could. However Luffy being made of rubber made it impossible to evade him for long. Zoro wasn't really helping either, not moving or letting the struggling girl go. 

The boat docked by the lighthouse at the entrance of the Grandline, Tani ran away from Luffy the moment Zoro let her down. Luffy pursued her in a game of chase, much to the girls annoyance. Where's Sanji when she needed him? The mouthwatering smells from the kitchen answering that little question. She didn't have her blades on which meant Luffy was way faster than her. He tackled her with a hug, Tani kicked her legs up trying to free herself (and failing miserably).

"get off! I'm still mad at you," Tani protested against her idiot captain. 

"as the captain I refuse," he said childishly. Looping his arms another time. Tani looked at her crew for help, but Nami was busy talking with the old guy about something important. Zoro and Usopp were ignoring her because of course they were! And Sanji was off cooking for the crew. 

"Luffy, if you don't get off me this instant!-" she threatened, being cut off by Sanji's call out for lunch. Saves by the angel man himself! Luffy ran to the food and shovelled it into his mouth as a sacrifice to the void. 

Tani stayed far away from Luffy, opting to skip the lunch and slip into the ship to hopefully hide from the captain. Honestly ever since she spoke with him the night before, he'd doubled his efforts to smother her in hugs. Was it his way of making her feel better? Because it wasn't working. She snuck into a supply room that held the boring stuff like wooden planks and paint. Tani sat beside the window, staring at the massive form of Laboon. She watched as Nami talked to Crocus about the little round thing she had in her hands. Everyone was just doing their own thing.

She turned away for a split second, and when returning her gaze she found that Luffy had stabbed the boats mast into Lagoon's head. Tani wanted to scream at him for being the biggest idiot in the world! The two exchanged blows until Luffy stopped and began talking to the whale, though Tani couldn't read his lips so she didn't understand what was going on. Luffy smiled and gave the whale a thumbs up, running towards the boat. What was he scheming? 

What she didn't expect was for the straw hat boy to burst through the door of the storage room she was hiding in (shocking her so much she fell off her seat). She just couldn't get away from the guy! He grinned from ear to ear. 

"can you help me find the paint?" he asked her, Tani blinked and nodded. Turning to search in silence, ignoring Luffy when he asked questions. The boy knit his brows together in thought, he wasn't sure why she was so mad right now. Everyone was fine, and she seemed just fine a while ago. 

"found the paint," she stately plainly, handing him the many paint buckets she found in the corner of the room. The rubber man collected them all in his arms, "now can you leave me alone?" she crossed her arms, putting up a front so the captain would leave her alone. 

Luffy nodded, leaving the room in a hurry. He still had to deal with her, but he had a Jolly Roger to paint on his new rival. 

...

Tani didn't know how long she sat in that storage room, when she woke up it was night time. Her neck ached from being propped up awkwardly while she napped atop the barrel she sat on. Hours must have passed. Did she skip dinner too? Her stomach grumbled angrily at her... She must have. 

Sanji would have saved her something right? He's the kind of guy who would do that for a women. She made her way to the kitchen, hoping to find a meal for her. She tread lightly on the wooden boards so she didn't wake anyone up. The dark obscured her vision, her hands held out to feel her surroundings. 

"oof," Tani and the other person she bumped into said at the same time, Tani almost fell onto her butt but was caught... By Luffy... Of course he'd head to the kitchen to raid it while the others are asleep. Tani pushed off the rubber man. Walking past him to head to her goal, which was to eat a meal to quell the beast in her stomach. A hand clasped hers, pulling her back towards the captain.

"Luffy, for the last time. Can you please leave me alone!" she whisper shouted. The annoyance was present in her expression. Luffy looked almost pissed off, but not murderous intent pissed. It was more like a defiant "you can't tell me what to do" look. 

"not until you stop being mad at me," he replied. Tani pulled her hand away, but his arm stretched with her. She sighed.

"look, not a good day today. I've been tossed around, thrown overboard many times, swallowed by a whale like I was Pinocchio! And you've just acted out like an idiot all day," she ranted, Luffy remained silent as she complained, "it's like you don't think before you act, it's reckless and makes me feel worried that we might all die. I've got someone waiting for me at home. Someone who's really important to me." she felt herself shaking with a mix of worry and frustration. 

Luffy tugged her hand gently, the girl followed. His free hand rubbed circles on her back, it was relaxing. For someone wanting to stay mad at the idiot captain, she sure was doing a bad job. His face was bright and comforting. How did he have such an effect over her? And why did they always have moments like this at night? What kind of cliche was this? 

Grumble... 

Tani pulled away, her hands grabbing her stomach in embarrassment. Luffy laughed at her, but the laugh was too contagious and she joined in too. 

"let's go raid the kitchen," Luffy suggested, Tani nodded in agreement. The pair walking towards the kitchen with food in their minds.


	9. First Island And We've Already Gotten Into Trouble! What Next? We Kill Each Other?

Sanji found the pair in the kitchen after Luffy set off a giant mouse trap, trapping the rubber man underneath. Tani fell back in shock, smacking her head into a wall which held the shelves with the pots and pans. A pot fell and got stuck on her head, blinded and confused she ran into a bunch of walls before tripping over Luffy. 

"Luffy how many times do I have to... Tani! Oh my darling what happened?" Sanji said, pulling the pot off the girls head and smothering her. Completely ignoring the struggling Luffy. 

"we were just grabbing something to eat, but Luffy got trapped in a... Where did you even get that?" Tani motioned towards the mouse trap.

"oh, Lougetown. Luffy always raids the pantry at night," Sanji answered, giving Luffy a glare that could kill a man. Luffy snickered, earning him a foot to the face. "more importantly, Tani if you're hungry just come wake me up. I'd be happy to cook for you." he cooed, but the thought was there. Her stomach growled much to her embarrassment. 

Sanji got straight to work, making something quick but worthy of the girls taste buds. Tani took to freeing Luffy from the mouse trap, she felt lucky that it wasn't her getting snapped by the trap. A phantom pain danced up her spine, shivering at the thought. 

"alright on three, ready? One... Two... Three," Tani pulled Luffy, the trap undid and he went flying like an elastic band. Crashing into the same wall Tani did, a pot fell and got stuck on his head too. Tani burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. Luffy tried to pull it off but his neck stretched with it. She grabbed the pot and pulled with him, their laughter filled the room. Sanji smiled softly to himself at the pleasant sound. 

The cook began plating a small stack of pancakes for the girl, and a plate of all the muck ups for Luffy (maybe he'll stop raiding the fridge). Topping off Tani's plate with a fruity syrup, cream and cut strawberries. What could be more romantic than that? He turned to serve the pair, only to see that they were still trying to pull the pot off Luffy's head. Tani looked as adorable as always, with her hair puffing like a chocolate cloud and her bright clothes reflecting her colourful personality. 

As that thought left the cooks mind, Tani went flying with a large pot in her hands. Landing across the room on her butt, that dazzling smile still gracing her face. She was just the most precious-

"Sanji, gimme the plate," Luffy interrupted Sanji's thoughts, grabbing one of the plates and shovelling the contents into his mouth. Sanji growled at him for being so rude. Only to find that Luffy grabbed the plate meant for Tani. Sanji's foot collided with Luffy's chubby cheeks, repeatedly.

"That. Was. Not. For. You. You. Idiot!" each word followed by a kick to the captain face. Tani got up and grabbed the other plate from Sanji's hand. Her eyes dazzled at the sight of it, a tower of pancakes drowning in whipped cream and syrup. Her mouth watered just looking at it. 

She ignored Sanji kicking Luffy to death in the corner and proceeded to take a bite of the pancake stack. Her taste buds exploded at the taste, no pancake parlour could ever compare to the taste. 

"Sanji this is amazing!" she praised, the cook stopped kicking Luffy and ran to her side to fawn and dote on how cute she was. Luffy dizzily pushed himself off the ground, homing in on the plate of pancakes in front of Tani. His hands shaking towards the plate, but Sanji wasn't having it. Grabbing the boys arms and tying them into a knot. Tani continued eating happily (giving Luffy her leftovers). 

Tani thanked Sanji for the meal. Deciding it was time for bed, she walked out of the kitchen and back towards her room. Luffy caught her shoulder as she left the room, grabbing the girls attention. 

"I'm bored, wanna go fishing?" he asked... He couldn't be serious right? It was the middle of the night, how would they even see the fish? 

"shouldn't you be, oh I dunno. Sleeping?" Tani replied playfully. Luffy caught onto this playful tone, happy she wasn't mad at him anymore. 

"but I'm not tired," he stated playfully back. Tani rolled her eyes, walking to their fishing spot and sitting down. Luffy sat himself down beside her, a fishing rod in his hands. "wanna share it again? That was fun last time," he asked. Tani shook her head, her motor skills at the moment would probably result in them losing the fish and drowning at the dead of night. The captain cast his line, waiting for a fish to bite. 

The pair sat in silence, a comfortable silence. Tani thought about the days events, if that's what it was like being on the Grandline everyday... She might as well sign off her soul to the underworld because she wouldn't survive. The girl sighed, unconsciously leaning on Luffy's side. The boy wasn't bothered, he leaned closer to her for comfort. It was calm, quiet, and peaceful all around. 

Before Tani knew it, morning had rolled around. She was sleeping on the deck, an arm and a leg sprawled out atop her. Turning her head she found Luffy sleeping with his limbs fanned out like a starfish. Softly brushing his arm off her chest, she sat up and turned to wake Luffy. Who woke up with a snort, a bubble of snot bursting which was gross but whatever. His eyes were droopy, widening at the sight of Tani.

"morning you goof," Tani yawned with a smile, stretching her arms to hear that satisfying pop of her bones. 

"morning Tani," he grinned back, bouncing to his feet with a burst of energy. Tani wobbled to her feet, she really needed to take a proper nap in a bed or something. 

"rise and shine!" Nami called out. Stomping on the latch door leading to bellow deck, where the boys slept. Zoro burst through the door tiredly, hauling himself out and making his way straight to the back of the ship to train. Usopp and Sanji hopped out as well, just not as dramatic as Zoro. Sanji went straight to complimenting Nami (who ignored him). Thus the morning was just a regular one. 

Tani stretched some more, considering the idea of training with Zoro to get stronger. Following the swordsman who was already doing push-ups. 

"need any help training?" she asked, Zoro glanced at her before returning to his push-ups. "I could really use some more training since we've hit the Grandline and I don't wanna die," she laughed nervously. The swordsman continued to do what he was doing. 

"not today, I've got some solo stuff I'm doing," he answered, Tani looked at the ground with disappointment. "but Luffy looks like he wants to help," Zoro pointed behind Tani (while still doing his push-ups), the girl turned around to find Luffy peaking from behind a corner. "Luffy! Can you help Tani not suck at fighting?" Zoro asked with a smirk, Tani glared at the swordsman. 

"sure!" Luffy smiled, looping an arm through hers and dragging her away from the smirking swordsman. 

"have you ever trained someone before?" she asked with concern, Luffy shook his head. Oh boy. 

"we can just spar, it can't be that hard," he said. Tani felt like maybe she should be worried about this. Does Luffy know how to hold back? She'd seen him destroy a multistory building with just his leg for Pete's sake. The bruise from the one time he accidentally sent her flying took weeks to heal. Luffy saw the worry on her face. "I won't hit hard," he assured. Tani was still worried, but what better way to get stronger than fighting with the strongest member of the crew. 

"alright, but if I die I'm gonna haunt you so bad the ghost busters won't be able to take me out," she threatened, Luffy had no idea what she meant but laughed anyway. "oh I don't have my gear, should I just... Not use it?" she thought aloud. 

Luffy jumped into action, winding up his arm to launch a punch. Tani looked back at him and squeaked as he "Gum Gum Pistoled" towards her ribs, she ducked before he hit her. 

"what the hell! I wasn't ready!" she complained. Luffy snickered, retracting his arm and winding it up for a second hit. Tani tried to weight out her options, without weapons she had no real way to compare to Luffy at all. Having the bare basics in hand to hand combat-

" Gum Gum Pistol!" Luffy fired his fist again, Tani attempted to dodge but Luffy curved and landed a blow on her right shoulder. It was way softer than the last time he hit her. Tani rolled on the ground, rubbing at her shoulder. Luffy charged towards her, the girl rolled onto her back and jumped back to her feet. Luffy loomed by her side, his hands balled into fists. 

Instinct kicked in, each punch Luffy sent her way was barely dodged. However the girl was unable to return any shots, he was way too quick and she was already growing tired. She did note one thing though, Luffy hardly aimed for her left side. When he did his speed decreased very subtly to anyone not paying attention. 

In a spur of the moment action, Tani twisted herself so her left side was facing Luffy. The boy slowed down, her observations were corrected. She balled her left hand into a fist and aimed right for his upper arm. He dodged with ease, but that gave the girl enough time to drop to her feet and sweep her leg across the ground to knock him over. He jumped out of the way, launching his arms around the woodeen beam that holds the sails in place. 

"no fair, you're way too high for me too reach," she shouted.

"just climb up here then," he snickered.

"and be up that high? No thanks, I quite enjoy not having to worry about falling to my demise thank you very much," she crossed her arms staring at the captain.

"you won't die, I won't let you," he assured, she shook her head furiously against the thought.

"heights are like water for me, I'm pretty much paralysed," she explained. Luffy made an "oh" sound in understanding. Jumping down from the beam he was on, landing right in front of his partner. 

What he didn't expect was her to instantly launch into an attack, her fist collided with his jaw. It wasn't very hard at all, and when he turned his head back to her she was panicking and apologizing furiously. Luffy smirked, sending a fist into her face. Her hands shot up to protect the spot that was hit, she knew he was going to hit her (he'd already done so) but the thought of him not holding back scared her. The rational part of her mind was drowned out by the screaming of her irrational brain telling her she wasn't safe. Was it just the fact that she had witnessed Luffy at full strength? That boy was a monster on the battlefield, but this wasn't a real fight. She wasn't in danger, he wouldn't actually hurt her. 

Lost in thought, she failed to notice Luffy's leg sweep underneath her. The girl fell backwards and knocked her head hard against the wooden deck. She stared dazed at the clear blue sky. Luffy looming over her with concern in his eyes. 

Tani rolled to her side, trying to push herself back up. Her jelly like limbs making it a much harder task than it should have been. Luffy didn't move to help her, he was still her opponent after all. When she was up, she held her arms up. Shielding her upper torso from the blows she was ready for Luffy to deal. He took a stance, Tani felt her breath catch in her throat. His fists attacked like bullets, she held her guard. Waiting for an opening that never came. 

She knew at this point that she would need to make an opening herself, or take a hit and just charge all at once. Her breathing sped up, to the point of almost hyperventilation. Luffy continued relentlessly attacking her guarded point, going for a final blow. 

Him winding up for that final hit gave Tani the time to act. Breaking her defense down, she balled both hands into a fist and with a battle cry. Charged at Luffy, jumping forward and slamming both fists into his chest. Knocking him backwards, he stumbled back a bit but wasn't down. She rapidly fired her shaky fists at the rubber man, who took each hit. After a moment of mindlessly firing punches, Luffy grabbed both fists and held them in place. His face was serious, Tani saw her reflection in his eyes. She was a mess, like a complete mess that should probably never fight ever. 

Luffy let go of her hands, they slackly dropped to her sides. He shifted from serious to cheery, hooking an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a comfortable side hug. Her heart rate slowed down to a regular speed, she didn't feel like she was fighting for her survival anymore. Why was she so worked up, Luffy was probably the safest person to be around on the ship in terms of you won't die when he's around (sanji was a very close second). 

"that was fun," Luffy snickered smushing his cheek into hers. "you don't hit very hard, and your stance is not great." he evaluated, Tani listened to what he had to say. "oh! You also spend way too much time thinking," he finished. 

Tani sighed, "sorry, I panicked," she admitted. 

"I know," Luffy laughed. Tani felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment, her hands flying up to cover her ashamed face. "you'll get better, I'm sure Zoro's a great teacher when he's not training by himself." he said. Was Luffy trying to make her feel better for being a total failure? 

"I'm hungry, let's go eat." Luffy didn't give the girl time to think before dragging her towards the kitchen for a well earned breakfast. Her thoughts lingering on the spar, and what she did wrong.

...

So the weather is ballistic as hell! First a wild wind hit the boat, sending everyone that wasn't Zoro (who was napping at the time) tripping and falling over themselves. Then a huge ass whirl pool spun the ship like crazy, if it hadn't been for Nami's expert navigation skills the crew would have perished. 

"there's an island up ahead," Tani called from the crows nest, pointing towards the huge circular mountains in the distance. The mist that obscured them cleared to reveal green mountains, and an island that looked like a snapped biscuit. The town on either side of the split island. The crew didn't expect to hear the wild cheering of the towns people as their boat approached. Many welcoming the pirates into their town, it was all a little bit too welcoming. 

"is it really safe to dock here?" Tani asked Nami as she climbed down from the crows nest. Nami sighed.

"we need to stay here until the log pose resets," she sounded just as suspicious of the town as Tani. "let's just act natural... And not! Cause trouble," her glare directed at Luffy and Zoro, both ignored her just as they had the last time. 

The crew vacated the ship after docking. A man with some renaissance music composers wig, and a very long face walked towards them to greet the crew. 

"well-" he started before coughing, clearing his throat "ma ma maa! Welcome to our town of whisky Peak," he welcomed the crew, the boys all looked excited while Tani and Nami kept their guards up. After sparing with Luffy, Tani knew she wasn't ready for a fight and honestly didn't want to be thrust into one. 

"a town that welcomes pirates?" Nami questioned aloud. 

"why of-" cough cough, "mama maa! Why of course we do, pirates who've worked so hard to traverse reverse mountain deserve some praise don't you agree?" the mayor (Tani assumed) responded. Nami nodded in agreement, but her posture showed she wasn't buying this. 

"lighten up a little Nami," Luffy said, while messing with the guys old fashioned hair. The man had a pleased smile. 

"please, stay for as long as you need. Tonight we shall-" cough cough, "ma maa! Tonight we shall have a party to celebrate your arrival," he declared, the entire town cheered loudly.

...

The town threw a massive party, it was bigger than the one at Cokayashi village. The crew was eating, drinking, and entertaining themselves into the later hours of the night. Well all except for one, Tani sat in the corner of the room. She didn't like this one bit, it just felt like a trick and she wanted to be one step ahead of the game. She clutched at the yo-yo's resting in her jacket pockets, her skates tied to the side of her bag which was strapped tightly to her back. Her guts telling her that she wasn't safe.

Grumble... 

Her guts also told her that she was hungry. She had watched Luffy stuffing his face all night, his body inflated like a balloon... At this rate he was going to look like Jabba the hut by the end of the night. She laughed to herself at the thought, maybe she could grab some of that chocolate she bought from the magic convenience store. Raising from her spot and walking out the door, the cold of night greeted her. It was refreshing, that room was stuffy and felt unsafe. 

Tightening the straps on her bag for the hundredth time that night, she was surprised to hear a familiar jingle play from her bag. Her eyes lit up, the store was in this town? Taking a bounce with every step, it didn't take long to find the place tucked away in the corner of the town. 

She entered the store, to her surprise it was the same clerk from last time that greeted her. Tani waved at them, and they smiled that trade mark customer service smile and waved back. Tani decided that she wanted to shop for not just snacks, but some clothes too. She couldn't survive off three shirts, two pairs of shorts and two jackets. Running around the store she found jumpers, pants, singlets, sneakers, the works! Everything she could ever need or want was in the store. Bundling all the newly acquired clothes (with a bunch of snacks she could share with the crew) she proceeded with purchase. Thanking the clerk with a huge smile. The clerk bagged the many items, a bell attached to each bag. There were enough bells to fill one of her pockets. Maybe she could give them as little gifts to the crew? 

Tani left the store with another string of thank you's to the chipper cashier. The plethora of bells chimed with every step she took, at least she got one good thing out of this shady little town. 

Trip!

Tani almost fell over the passed out body of a random villager, what the hell had happened here? She turned her head towards the sound of conflict in the distance. The shadows of people fighting danced along the walls of the towns buildings. She quietly dropped her bags on the ground, unclipping her skates from her bag and equipping them. Her hands slipped into her pockets to hook the yo-yo strings to her index fingers. Skating towards the conflict, she found Zoro running across the street with his three swords out. A crowd of townsfolk chasing him with various weapons... Shit.

One jumped at him from a blind spot, Tani jumped into action. Her yo-yo's thwacking the man in the face, her appearance made known to not only the enemy but Zoro.

"where were you? I thought they'd kidnapped you," he said with the sword in his mouth, still slicing his way through the crowds. 

"I was out shopping for clothes," Tani responded, kicking and whacking the enemies that charged her. Why wasn't she panicked? Who knows!

"well stick with me, these guys aren't who we thought they were," Zoro commented, running for a ladder. Tani followed behind... There was only one issue. 

"Zoro! I can't climb up!" she shouted, skating on the ground but keeping up with Zoro who was running from atop the buildings. 

"then stay down there," he told her like she was an idiot. He was probably a solo kinda guy so she understood his reaction but he didn't need to be an ass about it. She rounded a corner and found herself being attacked by the male stowaway from the day before, he held two bats in his hands. Swinging at her violently, that panic started crawling up her throat. She shook her head, she's got this, thinking back on Luffy's advice. Don't think! Stop thinking so hard. 

Of course the guy landed a blow on her ribs because the moron was doing exactly what she told herself not to do. The impact was harder than any of Luffy's from training. This was real, this was very very real. Tani staggered, taking a deep breath. The guy charged at her with his bats raised. Tani had had it! She screamed, spinning her yo-yo's as fast as she could. She charged at the man. He stood shocked for the massive 180° shift in her attitude. Big mistake on his part because the screaming Tani decked him hard in the face with her yo-yo's. Knocking him to the ground. Her breathing was rapid and uneven, she was safe. Relax, calm down, breath, breath. The ghost of Luffy's comforting arm around her shoulders pulled her back into that safe space in her brain. Luffy would always be there to protect her, even if he wasn't there. 

"Carue! Stop! He's that way!" the distressed cries of the blue haired stowaway yelled at the huge duck she was riding. The pair running right past Tani, into another street. Zoro leapt from the roof of a building, landing right beside Tani. He looked at the guy Tani knocked out, giving her an approving smile. 

"mamamaaa!" the mayor guy called out, pulling at the ribbons on his tie. Large machine guns from his hair opened fire on the pair. Where the hell did he come from?! Zoro pulled Tani behind him, while grabbing the downed body Mr 9 (because he has nines on his cheeks) and using him as a human shield for the pair. Zoro tossed Mr 9 at the mayor. Knocking him over and defeating him rather easily.

The loud and very obnoxious laughter of a women made the floating yellow women known, followed closely by a man in maroon clothes and a pair of shades. The pair started talking about "spies in the ranks" and "missions to take them out" but Tani didn't pay attention to their talking, her focus was more on whether these new people were friendly or- 

Boom! 

The man had flicked something at Mr 9 (who had gotten up again at some point) and ran at the Duo. He exploded... His body fell limp to the ground. Zoro kept himself in front of Tani, his swords held firmly in his hands.

"Zoro?! Tani?!" the pair turned around to face the inflated form of their captain. They both smiled at the sight of him. 

"thank goodness, Luffy! Come help us out would ya," Tani smiled, but Luffy gave the pair a pissed look. A look that said he wanted someone dead, Tani's face paled. "what's... What's wrong Luffy?" she asked. 

"you two... You two hurt all these people, they gave us food... They welcomed us into their homes, and you hurt them!" he roared, both Tani and Zoro's minds blanked for a moment... He had to be joking right? 

"Luffy they tried to-" Tani barely got the words out before Luffy shot his fist towards the pair, Zoro pushed Tani out of the way. The pair of them fell backwards. "shit!" Tani cursed, rolling onto her knees and pushing off the ground. "Luffy! Listen you idiot!" she shouted at him, but he just sent another fist her way. She didn't move in time, it collided with her left side... Oh shit! He was trying to kill her! Fight or flight boiled in her veins. The guy who could take down entire buildings was fighting with her and Zoro! 

"Tani, I need you to keep him off my back. These guys mean serious business and I don't need that moron getting in the way," Zoro requested, dodging the floating girl as she broke through the ground. Tani looked horrified. What the hell did Zoro think she could do? Luffy would actually kill her if he laid a hand on her!  But he needed her help... The girl groaned.

"if I die, I'm going to drag you to hell with me," Tani cursed the swordsman shakily, as she faced Luffy. Luffy roared into the night, charging at her just as he did that morning. That playful look was gone, only anger and aggression was present on his face... It was terrifying. Tani recalled what Luffy had said, so without thinking she skated towards an inclined board. It would work as a ramp. 

She skated fast, Luffy lost a lot of speed thanks to his huge rubber ball shape. So when Tani jumped using the ramp, over Luffy's head and yoinking his straw hat from his head. She knew she had signed her death wish, but it was the best way to assure Luffy wouldn't target Zoro at all. Placing it atop her head she sped off down the streets, taking every turn she could think of. Luffy's angered cries echoed through every alleyway and corner. His fists came flying through walls, from the roof tops, from every direction the girl could think of he was there. Tani wasn't going to survive if she just kept running, his attacks were getting faster and more aggressive. He was learning from her actions, and that was making this a whole lot scarier. 

She turned a corner that lead to the dock, the boat was right in front of her. She could make a run for that, but exposing herself to the open space was risky. She could dive for the water, since Luffy couldn't swim. However that didn't mean he couldn't just yank her from the water and beat her up. 

"Give me back my hat!" Luffy roared from above her, jumping from the roof. His body almost crushed her, had she not sped towards and dived into the ocean. She kept herself submerged for a solid 45 seconds before risking a resurface for air. She swam behind the Merry, hoping the cover would hide her from her enraged captain. Her hands held the rim of his precious hat, she felt awful for taking it but it needed to be done. She hoped Zoro was fairing well on his own, he was strong. 

"Tani! I'm gonna kick your ass when I find you!" Luffy shouted into the night, Tani closed her eyes tight. "I thought we were nakama! But you hurt these nice people, and that makes you a no good crook." Luffy kept talking, Tani felt her heart sink. She needed to stay quiet, but she wanted to tell him he's wrong... Also they were pirates? They were all crooks in the eyes of the law, so pot kettle black. 

"show yourself Tani!" he shouted, "you coward! Face me so I can kick your ass!" he taunted. Tani was fed up with this, she was fighting with every urge in her body. Does she fight? Does she stay hidden? She held his straw hat tighter, pulling it further over her head. Tears streamed down her face in a mix of fear and sadness. "face me!" he called again, Tani was fed up.

"Shut up!" she called into the air, Luffy stopped talking. "Shut up! I'm not a coward! I'm just trying to survive because your an idiot that won't listen!" she cried. The sound of Luffy approaching caused the girl to dive back under the water. He couldn't get her from down there, but she knew she couldn't stay there forever... And he knew that too. 

Her lungs were screaming for oxygen, she stayed underwater for about a minute and a half before her vision was filled with black spots. She surfaced, and was instantly met with a rubber hand grabbing the collar of her jacket. Ripping her from her water sanctuary, forcing her to face the angry face if a now deflated Luffy. Tears ran down the girls fearful face, who would have thought the one she thought would protect her... Would be the one hurting her. 

"Luffy! Stop!" the combined voices of Zoro and Nami called out to the captain. Luffy turned to the pair, Nami calling out an explanation as to what happened. Following behind them was the blue haired girl. Luffy listened to Nami, because once she cleared Tani and Zoro's names. Luffy released Tani and his entire demeanor changed in a flash! 

"oh! Why didn't you just say so?" he questioned the pair, Zoro and Nami thwacked him in the head. While Tani sat on the floor as pale as a ghost, she almost died. Again... 

"I hate this!" Tani cried, huge tears poured from her eyes as she ran away from the group. Nobody could catch up to her if they tried. She passed the many fallen bodies of the towns folk that tired to kill her and Zoro moments ago. Turning corners and bends until she located... Her shopping. She collected the bags and sat in that alleyway with her knees brought up to her chest. She was tired of this, she wanted to go home right now. 

"Tani!" she heard her name called by the various voices of her crew members. She kept silent. Moments passed before Nami found Tani crying to herself.

"Tani?" Nami said, Tani lifted her head to face the redhead. Honestly she was glad it was Nami and not Luffy or Zoro. Nami walked to the teary girls side and sat beside her. 

"I thought I was going to die... Then Luffy just changed his personality like that," Tani clicked her fingers, "it's like he doesn't understand that some people don't get over shit like that!" she ranted to the redhead, who nodded in agreement.

"look, Luffy is the biggest knucklehead I know. Give him some time and he'll understand what he did wrong. Trust me, he'll be making it up to you the minute you get back." she promised, her hand grabbing Tani's shoulder comfortingly. The girl have Nami a trusting smile. 

"hey what's in the bags?" Nami inquired as the pair walked back towards the ship. The rest of the crew was already aboard, the blue haired girl (Vivi) was talking to the mayor... Who was dressed up as her, while holding three sacks of whatever with faces on them. 

Vivi hugged the mayor, who returned the hug. Nami stood beside Vivi, Tani walked back onto the boats deck. Sanji looked horrified at Tani's battered form, her clothes were dirty and wet, her hair a wild mess dripping with water. Luffy approached the girl, but was pushed away by Sanji who did his whole doting thing. Tani pushed him aside, she had a mission.

She stood before Luffy, his hat (which she still had) rested in her hands. She held it out to him.

"sorry for taking it," she apologized. Luffy looked at her in surprise, taking the hat from her hands and looking back and forth between it and her saddened expression. He gave her a smile, his hand reached towards her head. He plucked her cap from off her head, resting it on his own. He then took his straw hat, and put it back on her head. 

Tani didn't know what to say, to the outside world it may have just looked like a hat swap. But to her, this was a declaration of trust. He trusted her enough to hold his only prized possession, and she in return needed to trust him back. She smiled back at him, nodding in understanding.

The moment was ruined... By the massive explosion before outside the island. The crew all looked on in horror at the sight of a small boat up in flames, the pained screams of Vivi echoed through the island. Nami held the distraught girl by the shoulders, comforting the girl as best she could. Tani only then noticed that the mayor man wasn't there anymore... No. 

"it's too dangerous now, we have to move," Nami commanded, the crew jumped into actions. Sailing the boat out of the islands area, and back onto the open seas. Vivi mourned the loss of her companion, Nami and Sanji worked their best to comfort her. 

"isn't this a surprise? A princess asking for the assistance of pirates," a mysterious voice called from above the crew. Looking up they found a strange women adorned in a cowboy get-up, seated on the railing above them. "don't you find that amusing miss Wednesday?" she addressed Vivi, who looked disheartened and pained. 

"what do you want miss All Sunday? " Vivi asked, Miss All Sunday laughed.

"I'm not here for a fight, I come here with an offering," she held up a log pose, but it looked different from the one Nami had. This one had a name on it. She tossed it into Luffy's hands. " this pose should take you directly to Nanimonai island, which is close to Alabasta." she explained. Tani looked at it suspiciously, this women could be lying for all they know. 

"why are you helping us? Why did you blow up Igaram?" Vivi cried, All Sunday ignored her questions. 

"we don't want your stupid log pose," Luffy declared, smashing it on the ground. Nami whacked him in the head angrily but he ignored it. "we came here for an adventure, and as the captain I get to decide where we go. Not you," he told her. All Sunday laughed lightly.

"very well, good luck on your travels. Straw hat," and with that she jumped off the boat and landed on a huge turtle, sailing into the foggy distance. The crew kinda just stood around for a couple seconds before registering what happened. 

"so what now? We just go to the next island?" Tani asked, Nami nodded. 

"lucky for us, the log that Luffy didn't carelessly destroy," she gave him a glare, "reset to the next island, so we're headed that way," Nami said. "Tani you're on watch tonight,"


	10. I Thought The Land Before Time Was Scary! Someone Get Me A Time Machine

"Marco!" Tani called out with a blindfold over her eyes, hands held out in front of her in search of her hidden friends. Stifled giggles and the shuffling of feet surrounded her. 

"Polo!" Luffy called from behind her, as Usopp called from her left. She spun around to tap Luffy or Usopp but found empty air. Tani felt herself losing balance, flailing her arms in the air to hopefully hold onto some railing or the main mast... She ended up with her face smacking into the ground. She heard laughing (probably Luffy and Usopp) and couldn't help but join them.

Tani lifted the blindfold to be greeted with the held out hand of Luffy. She accepted his help, letting him pull her to her feet with little effort. The trio was breathless from all the laughing. They'd been travelling towards the next island for a couple days. The amount of pent up energy in everyone was making the whole crew feel restless, so Tani introduced some games from her home. Playing Marco Polo out of water wasn't as fun, but when one of the members literally gets paralysed when up to his knees in salt water it's a little difficult... The whole devil fruit shebang is cool in theory, but exchanging the ability to swim and being a pirate just seems really, really stupid. 

"Tani~" Tani turned to find a tray of drinks being presented before her, Sanji grinned at her as she took the closest drink and thanked him. The love struck chef twirled his way up the stairs chanting "Nami~ Vivi~" Tani couldn't help but giggle. 

Turning to take a sip of her drink... She found it completely drained of the refreshing liquid. Slowly turning her gaze to the most likely culprit, her deadpan stare glaring deep into his guilt free eyes. 

"Luffy, you best be sleeping with one eye open tonight because so help me I'm going to actually-" she threatened, only to have another drink replacing the empty one in her hands. A trail of smoke being the only evidence that the chef had been there. "you've been spared this time," she said with a straw in her mouth. 

"hey look at the duck go!" Luffy cheered. The crew turned to watch the duck that Vivi brought with her  drink a whole bunch of the drinks that Sanji had prepared. Why did he make so many? Then again... The straw hatted captain crossed her mind. 

Tani didn't watch for very long, birds gave her the hebbie-jebbies and Carue was no exception. Instead she opted to look out at the ocean in the hopes of finding the next island. She was ready to feel land again, the cramp little boat felt too restrictive.

Not even minutes after that thought an island filled to the brim with jungle and plant life came into view. Tani smiled and turned to her crew mates, waving her hand wildly to grab their attention.

"land ahoy!" she cheered, feeling giddy at the fact she just said the most pirate thing she could think of at the time. Everyone looked away from the drinking bird and rushed to the edges of the boat to look at the incoming island in awe. "it looks like something out of an adventure movie!" Tani sounded excited, her very first uncharted island. 

"doesn't look like there's any towns we could restock our supplies with though," Nami said with a sigh of disappointment. Now that the crew had two new additions and didn't get the chance to restock at the last island because they were almost all brutally murdered in the dead of night. The crews food and water supplies were critically low. Tani felt like maybe it would be a good idea to invest in some water bottles for the crew. 

"so what's the plan Nami?" Tani inquired, resting her head in her palms. Nami leaned on the railing next to the younger women.

"we wait for the log post to reset," she answered. Luffy groaned at the boring response. Earning him a smack to the head from Sanji, who spouted praise to the redhead (which she promptly ignored). 

"but Nami," Luffy complained, elongating her name. "I wanna have an adventure," he pouted, Nami put a hand on her forehead.

"Luffy if we leave the boat, someone's going to get lost." she tried to reason. The look in Luffy's eyes however proved to her that he would just do what he wants to anyway. Tani snickered, drawing Luffy's attention to her.

"you'll come with me right?" he asked with a grin, his arm lazily slung over her shoulders. Tani smiled and laughed, as much as she wanted to explore she knew that wandering in the jungle was a bad idea. She shook her head at the eager captain, who pouted in return. His arm uncoiled from her shoulders as he slumped to the ground in disappointment.

"what about food? We've almost run out of supplies," Sanji asked Nami, the girl held her chin in thought. 

"well it would help if we had a way to find each other after splitting up, otherwise you boys could go hunt for food, but it's just too risky," Nami concluded. Tani readjusted her bag, a choir of ringing bells jingled in her bag. Her ears perked up, but nobody else seemed to notice. She shook the bag again, the bells chimed and jingled but nobody heard them. Luffy gave her a strange look. 

"can't you hear the bells? We could use those to find each other," Tani smiled, dropping her bag to the ground and fishing out a handful of bells. The crew looked at her with confusion. Luffy grabbed a bell and shook it next to his ear, the sound being heard loud and clear by the dark skinned girl. 

"I can't hear anything," Luffy stated, shaking the bell harder. The crew appeared to be under the same blanket. Tani blinked, shaking all of the bells. All of them rang for her... Weird. "but if Tani can hear them, then she can find us!" Luffy cheered. Tani perked up.

"so she's like what? A tracker?" Usopp questioned, his hand on his chin in a similar fashion to Nami's. "oh! She's the party finder, finding anyone that goes missing," Usopp clicked his finger at the cool title he thought up for their now designated party finder.

Tani felt her heart swell, she finally had something to do that was just for her! She nodded in acceptance of her new role, a handful of bells singing with her happiness. The crew all seemed happy with the new joy on the girls face. 

"I'll do my best," she gave a thumbs up. "let's hand out some bells," she held her hands out to the crew, each member grabbing a bell. Except Zoro who Tani insisted on having three because of his style. Tani still had bells to spare, deciding that she might need to get some sort of storage container to hold the rest. Everyone placed the bells on their person, Zoro tied the bells to his swords sheaths which was super awesome in Tani's opinion. Usopp handed out some string to the others, everyone else making the bells into bracelets or necklaces. Tani couldn't stop smiling.

"alright, since we seem to have some way to find each other." Nami started, shaking the bell attached to the string around her neck, "it should be safer... To explore the island. But! Only for resources!" Nami said. Luffy jumped for joy, his bell danced about on his chest. 

The ship docked in the middle of a split in the island. What's with all the islands being split in half? The island itself just screamed untouched by civilization. Nature flourished, birds chirped and shrieked, bugs buzzed and the place was quiet... So quiet. 

"Nami, we're outta food." Sanji informed as he walked out the kitchen door. Nami gave a nod of acknowledgement. 

"if that's the case, can you go hunting? bring someone with you." she asked. Sanji spun on the spot and accepted her request with great enthusiasm. Zoro scoffed at the display, Sanji stopped and scowled at the green haired swordsman. 

"you have a problem mosshead? Or you just jealous that Nami asked me to do such an important task," Sanji hissed, Zoro narrowed his eyes and scowled back. 

"shut up love cook, I could hunt way better than you any day," Zoro bit back, "I bet I could get a bigger hunt than you today," he challenged. 

"bull shit! I'm way better than you, I'll get a bigger kill than you could ever dream of moss for brains," Sanji bit back. Nami rolled her eyes and huffed at the hopeless idiots.

"can you two just shut up and hunt already." she growled, her gaze turned to Tani who was watching the whole argument unfold while shoving her face with popcorn. "Tani can you go with them, we can test the bells system," Nami asked. Tani nodded, popcorn falling out her over stuffed face. Sanji stopped fighting with Zoro and ran over to Tani with hearts in his eyes. Zoro face palmed, shoving the cook away from the girl.

"she can be the judge," Zoro commented, walking towards the side of the boat. Jumping over the edge and landing on the solid grass with a thunk. Sanji jumped down more gracefully, his arms held out for Tani to fall into. 

"wonder what's out there, hope there's no bears." Tani thought aloud. Walking between the bickering boys, acting as a meat shield for the both of them. Tani pat her pockets, her yo-yo's rested inside in case an emergency. Sanji and Zoro both bumped her shoulders every so often, reminding her that she isn't alone which gave her a happy feeling.

"how about we split up here and meet up in 15 minutes," Sanji asked, the trio looked up at the wall of a mountain. "Tani dearest can stay here and wait, if that's alright with you," the blonde swooned. Tani nodded nervously, she didn't think she was going to be left alone. Zoro pat her shoulder in a comforting manner.

"hah, I'll be back in less than 10 minutes," Zoro gloated, Sanji narrowed his eyes. Oh boy here we go again. 

"I'll be back in 5! Then I can prove that I'm better than you shitty marimo," Sanji retorted.

"guys can we get this over with, I don't wanna be left in the jungle alone for any longer then I need to," Tani laughed nervously, her hands gripping to her bag straps tight. Both men looked back at the nervous girl, then turned back at each other and huffed before running in opposite directions.

Tani tapped her foot in the soft dirt, knowing she wouldn't die... Hopefully. The boys wouldn't be away for too long she thought to herself. Plus she had a pretty killer scream that Sanji would certainly come running to if she was attacked by anything. Her mind was flooded with reassuring thoughts, her nakama would keep her safe. It felt kinda funny saying the term nakama, but she loved it anyway. 

Tani didn't even notice the time pass by, before long both boys walked back dragging behind them... 

"Holy shit are those dinosaurs?!" Tani questioned urgently, sprinting towards the downed triceratops that Zoro brought back. "I thought they died out millions of years ago!" Tani nervously laugh shouted. 

"which ones bigger? Because it's pretty clear that mine is the best," Zoro proclaimed, raising an irritated brow from the blonde opposite him. 

"yeah right, that pathetic runt of a hunt is nothing compared to this," Sanji motioned towards his dinosaur. Tani was just flabbergasted by the dinosaurs, was she the only human from her dimension to have ever encountered a... Once alive but not fossilised dinosaur. 

"Tani who won?" the boys said at the same time. Tani blinked blankly, before shaking her head out of her thoughts. 

"Uh... Hmm," she examined both of them. Sanji's was bigger in length, but Zoro's was bigger in width. They were pretty much the same! "can we have it as a draw? They're both too similar for me to pick a winner," she concluded, breathing a laugh. The boys glared aggressively at each other, head butting each other to assert dominance? 

"guys guys, we just needed the meat right? Don't worry about-" she tried to calm the fires of war roaring from both males... Tried.

"I'm finding a bigger kill!" Sanji declared, turning away in a huff and stomping back into the wild. 

"hah! In your dreams curly brow!" Zoro insulted, storming off in the opposite direction. Leaving Tani alone in the jungle, with nothing but her thoughts and yo-yo's. Her head whipped from left to right, staring off into the empty space that the rivals had left her. A pit formed in her stomach at the thought of being alone.

"Sanji! Zoro! We ha-have enough food! Come back, please!" Tani called out with her hands cupping her mouth to project her voice. "shake your bells! Please!" she requested nervously. No bells made a sound. 

"please-" she started again, before the ground underneath her began to shake. An earthquake?! Tani wobbled and tripped over her feet as she attempted to steady herself. Falling onto her butt roughly, her heart rate speeding up in fear. 

"Tani!" Sanji called from the distance, the sound of his bell jingled as he ran closer. Tani looked his way, his bright blonde hair contrasted against the heavy greenery. He rushes towards her, his long legs carrying him with little effort. 

"Sanji!" she called back happily, wobbly pulling herself off the ground. Sanji grabbed her upper arms and steadied her. She gave him a thankful smile, which he returned with that stupid face of his. Cheering Tani right up. "wait? Where's Zoro?" she asked, not seeing the green haired swordsman anywhere. Sanji scoffed. 

"who cares about that air head? He probably got lost," Sanji insulted. Tani paled in the face. 

"Sanji... It's my job to keep an eye on everyone," she sweat dropped, her hands falling to the ground. Sanji face palmed.

"that shitty swordsman is gonna be the death of us," he sighed. Pulling out a new cigarette and lighting it. Tani lowered herself to a crouch, slipping her bag off her back and untying the roller blades from the side. Slipping them on and clipping them into place. 

"it would be a good idea to stick together, however this is Zoro we're talking about so we should split up to cover more ground," Tani concluded. Sanji looked annoyed.

"but Tani," he pouted, elongating the end of her name. She giggled at his childish act. "how can I protect you if you're not beside me?" he looked so sad! His eyes drooped and his face just screamed sad. 

"I-I can take care of myself Sanji, I have these," she whipped out her yo-yo's and spun them a couple times, "if you find Zoro, shake your bells as much as you can so I can find you," she requested. Turning to walk in the direction Zoro originally walked. Giving Sanji a quick wave. The cook cooed in the distance about how much he loved a strong women, earning a giggle and eye roll from the girl. 

...

"Zoro! Zoro can you hear me!?" Tani shouted as loud as she could, her hands cupping her mouth again. Where could that man be? Tani was lucky her skates seemed to work in any terrain in this world. It was a weird thing she figured out a while ago, but it appeared that grass and dirt didn't slow her down as much as they did back home. Speeding through the heavy brush of the island looking for the lost man. "Zoro! If you hear me! Ring your bells!" she called out. 

"gum gum!" 

Luffy?! 

"rocket!" 

What the?!

"Luffy?! Luffy is that you?!" Tani shouted, skating towards the sound of Luffy's voice. He was fighting something, the sound of conflict could be heard-

Slam! 

The ground shook like another earthquake. Tani lost her balance, using a tree for support. She pushed herself forward while calling for Luffy. 

"Dorry! You can't fight, you're wounds are too severe!" the high pitched cries of Vivi? Called to Dorry? Who's that? A clearing was in front of Tani. The girl burst forth from the bushes, coming face to face with a sight that was just too much for the girl... Though she really shouldn't be surprised, when will something extraordinary fail to surprise her? Maybe never. 

The girl stared up at the gargantuan form of some Viking looking giant! He was huge, with a massive beard and Viking hat. He was hunched over, his mouth bled as his hand clenched his stomach. Did Luffy fight this guy? Tani's eyes turned towards the straw hat captain, his fists clenched as he barked at the giant.

"Dorry, don't do it. If you do you'll die," Luffy sounded tense. Like he was on the brink of exploding. Tani slowly glided her way over, trying not to draw attention to herself. Halting herself when she stood beside Vivi, who had yet to notice her. 

Dorry the giant looked pained, his angered gaze softened slightly as he sighed and very painfully (it was cringe worthy to watch) stand up to his full height. His free hand clenched around an sword, his eyes shadowed by the helmet. Tani let out a breath in awe, drawing Vivi's attention to the girl beside her. Vivi jumped in surprise, but turned back to the giant to try and knock some sense into him. 

"Dorry stop! You'll get yourself killed!" she cried. Luffy remained silent, staring up at the giant with a look of determination. The giant however ignored them and proceeded to lift a giant rock and dropped it on top of Luffy! Tani shouted, making her presence known to everyone. She sped towards the now downed Luffy.

"what the hell! Why did you do that you jerk?!" she shouted at the giant who stood still. 

"Elbaf has decided to favour Brogy, I can't back down now," Dorry declared, holding his sword in the air. His head turned towards the mountain, as if he was waiting. Tani ignored him and turned to Luffy, she grabbed his arms and pulled as hard as she could. His arms just kept stretching! She couldn't pull him free from the weight of the rock. Luffy remained silent, waiting for Dorry to make his move. 

Then the mountain erupted... The giant turned away to leave. Both Luffy and Vivi cried for him to stop, but he didn't spare them a glance as he rushed away to do whatever he was doing. Tani struggled and pulled on Luffy in desperation. The boy angrily headbutt at the rock behind him, he was pissed. The dirt beneath Tani caved as she repeatedly skidded across the same spot over and over again. Vivi remained still, looking to where Dorry disappeared from. Tears dribbled from her eyes. 

The jingle of a bell perked up Tani's ears. She turned towards the bushes. Luffy looked up at her curiously, unaware of the bell sound alerting the girls senses. It was ringing like crazy, as if the crew memeber was running. Out of the bushes tumbled Usopp, who looked out of breath with all the sweat running down his face. Followed by Carue the duck? Why were they running? 

"Usopp what's wro-" before Tani could finish, an explosion hit her in the side.  Tani was sent flying to the right, slamming into the hard ground. Luffy screamed her name, clawing at the ground to free himself. Out of the brush came Mr 5 and Miss Valentine, the women laughed her obnoxious laugh. Tani struggled to lift herself off the ground, coughing the smoke away.  Her hands slipped into her pockets, sliding her weapon of choice into place. The sound of Vivi and Usopp's panicked cries filled the air as the enemy Duo explained what they were doing. Tani was having a hard time listening in, her ears ringing. 

"what's Baroque works doing here?!" Vivi cried. An explosion setting off near her, throwing her to the ground. Mr 5 loomed over her, his hand stretched out to grab her. Tani thrust her yo-yo at the man, skidding across the ground in her skates. The man could explode parts of his body? Or at least his ear wax (gross) so if he had no access to his arms, he wouldn't be able to explode anything. Tani circled around me 5 as fast as she could, the strings of her yo-yo's constricting his movements. He looked too calm... Tani tensed, she didn't know why he was so calm! Why is he so calm?

The man picked at his nails, the tip of one of his nails curled off. This fingers clipped over it and he flicked his fingers her way. Launching the finger nail clipping towards the girl, who had failed to register what the hell has happened. The nail hit her in the chest, the explosion blasted her hard. She was sent flying backwards, pulling her yo-yo's backwards with her. Mr 5 fell to the ground while Tani flew head first into the rock holding Luffy down. Black spots filled her vision, her head spun and her limbs hurt. Mr 5 freed himself from his bindings and loomed over Tani with a blank, almost bored expression. His finger wiggled in his ear, dislodging a small ball of wax on the tip of his finger. Tani's eyes widened, her arms sluggishly pulled in front of her face as she clenched her face shut. The distant distressed calls of her nakama being the last thing she heard before the clicking of fingers... 

Bang! 

...

"-ni..."

"Tani..."

"Tani!" 

"TANI!" 

The girls eyes shot open, her body flinging forward in fear. Her breathing was heavy and sweat coated her face. Her morning vision cleared, her eyes staring into the concerned faces of Luffy and Usopp. Luffy's face looked relieved at the sight of the now awake girl. His arms curled around her, Usopp followed afterwards. Even the bird joined in! Tani felt like her body was going to break. 

"I'm alright I'm alright... Please let go I can't breath," she wheezed. Usopp and Carue let go upon request, but Luffy's hold lingered a little longer. Tani sheepishly pat the captains back until he pulled away. His arms hooked under her arms and pulled her up to her feet. Only after standing for a moment did Tani notice the absence of Vivi. "where's Vivi?" she asked, both boys tensed. Luffy's gaze darkened while Usopp clenched his fists. Tani furrowed her brow. Oh... 

"let's go get her back," Tani clapped her hands. Luffy smirked and nodded his head in agreement, Usopp followed in suit. Carue quacked in agreement. The group prepared to leave, Usopp mounted Carue while Tani stretched her legs and back to warm up herself for the skate trip. Luffy snickered behind her, why he hadn't boarded Carue yet she didn't know. "we ready?" she asked, placing one foot before the other. Her posture was that of a runner before a race. 

"aye aye Tani!" the boys confirmed. Tani smirked, "race you there," her eyes twinkled, her front leg pushing her forward. The blades propelled her forward, giving her a head start before either boy had a moment to register that she'd left. 

Hands gripped her shoulders as the distant call of a "gum gum rocket!" was heard. The girls face paled slightly. Oh boy... Luffy flung himself at the girl, latching onto her back as she zoomed through the maze of trees and bushes. The extra weight from the boy piggybacking on her made it a little bit tricky to turn and dodge, luckily Luffy used his arms to pull the girl out of dangers way. His legs looped around her waist to keep him secured. That's why he didn't board Carue.... 

The sound of bells jingling caught the attention of Tani. Who halted for a split second. The sound of... 2...3...5 bells? That sounded about right. Which only means. 

"this way!" she called out to Usopp who was trailing behind her and Luffy. She turned towards the bells, racing forward. A clearing came into view, white flakes filled the air. What the group found was... Well it was something. A huge wax structure with a pumpkin was spinning in circles, flakes of wax rained down on the- "Zoro! What the hell how did you get this far away?! Sanji and I were looking for you," Tani yelled at the idiot swordsman, who looked back at her with an annoyed glare.

"it's not my fault you and shitty brow got so hopelessly lost looking for me," he yelled back at her. She went to keep yelling at him, but Nami (who was also apparently stuck) struck Zoro across the head.

"hurry up and save us!" she called at the group. Luffy dismounted Tani and rushed head first into the fray. Tani followed behind him, while Usopp and Carue hid in the bushes. 

"well well well, if it isn't straw hat Luffy," a new and super annoying voice called out. All attention was turned to the man with the super stupid hair, he was probably Mr 3 because his hair was shaped as so... And it was in fire, that would smell so bad! "it's too late for your friends! They'll become masterpieces!" he started rambling like the Saturday morning cartoon villain he was, literally nobody said anything and he's already started his monologue about "art" and "oh so beautiful" Tani just rolled her eyes an walked towards the candle thingy. 

"coming down!" Miss Valentine called out, her body slamming into the ground where Tani stood just a moment ago. Tani felt her skin sweat, the dust cleared and a huge hole that would have been Tani was dug. The bright yellow women flew out of the hole and laughed obnoxiously. Tani clutched her yo-yo's and prepared an attack. Only to get an explosion to her back... Pain bloomed on her back, a shout of profanity escaped her mouth. 

"Usopp! What are you waiting for?" Nami called from above Tani. Tani ignored their conversation, turning her focus back to the floating women. Tani wasn't really there the last time the crew faced her so from what she could see, this women was able to change her weight on a whim. As long as she wasn't underneath her then the enemy couldn't do much. 

"Luffy wait-" Nami called out, Tani had little time to notice Luffy flying out of nowhere and slamming his legs into the column holding up the spinning pumpkin candles. With a loud crash, the column collapsed. Coating Tani in a layer of white wax. The air cleared... Only now the pumpkin was closer to the trio trapped in wax. "idiot! You just sped up the process!" Nami wailed in anger. Luffy laughed in apology. Tani turned back to her opponent.

"10,000 kilo guillotine~" Valentine announced. Tani's eyes bulged as she jumped out of the way, a leg slammed into the ground leaving a massive crater. Tani was breathing heavily, coughing and choking on the wax dust in the air. She couldn't see Miss Valentine! The women repeated the actions, Tani barely dodging everytime. How was she going to take this women out? She didn't have thing that could weight the women down, plus she could just change her weight... Wait! 

Tani waited patiently for the next time Valentine came crashing down. Her breathing slowed as she concentrated, focusing her hearing to the sky. The world seemed to slow down, sounds dulled... There! 

Valentine came crashing down, digging herself into the ground. Tani jumped into action, throwing herself into the hole with a weighty thunk. Tackling Valentine to the ground, Tani's hands holding Valentine's wrists. She had the floating girl pinned. But with the women struggling against her, Tani needed to think of a way to take her out before she could free herself. 

So Tani did the only thing she could think of. Rearing her head back, she threw her upper body forward. Her head smashed into Valentine's, knocking the girl out. Tani felt dizzy, her head pulsed from the impact. However she was proud of herself for holding her own against a devil fruit user. Pulling herself out of the hole, she found herself looking at a giant mecha made of wax fighting a shirtless Luffy while Usopp was coating a rope in something while running away from Mr 5. 

Tani ran to Usopp's aid, her yo-yo's flinging towards Mr 5. The strings wrapping around his body tight just like the last time. He stayed calm just like the last time... Only this time round Tani wasn't going to underestimate him. Her attention kept on his hands which were now scrapping at his nails again.

"Oi!" Usopp called out to Mr 5. "eat this!" he launched a star at him. The man smirked and swallowed it... Why would you do that... Ew. The star didn't explode as Tani had expected, no instead Mr 5's face reddened and began sweating. Tani held back a snicker as the man's mouth blazed with burning flames. Pulling the string and tripping the man, ringing in her yo-yo's while Usopp whacked the man over the head with a rock. Knocking him out. Tani smiled and held a hand out for Usopp to high five, the Duo clapped hands and laughed at their handy work. 

Usopp turned towards Carue, handing the bird the coated rope. Instructing the bird to run around the candle structure, and fast because everyone was a striking white colour! The bird took the rope in his mouth and saluted Usopp before rushing towards the candle thingy to wrap it in the coated rope. Usopp readied a fire star. Tani turned back to Luffy's fight, he seemed to be handling himself really well against the mecha. Though she felt her cheeks warm up at sight of him having no shirt, like why was it off?! She turned away sheepishly and watched as Usopp set the wax ablaze.

Nami, Zoro and Vivi burst free from their prison... Why the hell was Nami's shirt off!? Why is everyone losing their tops!? Tani covered her face in embarrassment. Missing Zoro take out Mr 5 (who got back up) as well Nami and Vivi double teaming on Miss Valentine (who also got back up).

The heat from the fire star spread, the mech that Luffy was fighting began to melt, as did the restraints from the other giant that Tani only now noticed. Luffy grinned, sucker punching Mr 3 in the face and launching him into the brush behind them. 

"Tani!" Luffy shouted at the girl, stretching his arms over to her shoulders. The girls face heated up as he latched onto her like before, only this time he had no shirt on! She almost missed him telling her to pursue Mr 3. "go go go!" he cheered. Tani shook her head to remove her flustered thoughts and began her pursuit of the dumb man with the flaming hair. 

The pair traversed the greenery, Luffy focused on the turning while Tani propelled them forward. It was a pretty neat system for them. 

"I see him!" Luffy called out... Only for them to face an army of Mr 3's. Tani looked at them all with wide eyes. 

"hahahahaa can you guess which one is the real-" Mr 3 didn't even finish before Luffy launched a gum gum pistol into the man's face. Tani blinked a couple times before turning to him in awe. 

"how?" she motioned at the fallen enemy, then back at Luffy in a repeated motion. Luffy laughed. 

"instincts I guess," he answered. Tani shook her head with a humoured breath. Her arms slipping out of her jacket and tossing it over Luffy's head. He gave her a quizzical look. 

"just... Just put it on man," she sputtered. Luffy did as she asked, making her face feel even hotter now that she was wearing something that belonged to her... Maybe that was a dumb idea! 

"it's warm," he commented, wrapping it around himself tighter. Tani looked away, slapping her cheeks to calm herself. What the hell was wrong with her? It's just Luffy! Why was she so flustered? He jumped on her back again, arm extended with his fist balled. "yosh! Let's go back to the others," he declared. Tani nodded in silence. Skating back to the rest of the crew. 

...

"Sanji where have you been?" Nami asked as the crew walked back to the ship. Sanji smiled and waved at the crew (the women of the crew). 

"ah Nami dear-" he began before his face exploded into a red colour... Oh right she had no shirt on! Tani pulled her bag off and tossed the windbreaker inside onto Nami, maybe she should have done that earlier but nobody seemed to remember that detail while they trekked through the jungle. Nami shot her a thankful look. 

"anyway," Nami said, "Sanji where were you? Why weren't you with Tani and Zoro?" she inquired. 

"the shitty swordsman got lost, so Tani dearest and I had to split up to find the moron," Sanji explained, Zoro growled in the background but was ignored. "anyway, I found some wax house and had a pleasant conversation with a Mr 0 on the den den mushi," he said casually. Vivi gasped, everyone looked at her. 

"Mr 0?! But... But!" she looked shocked. Nami pat her back in a comforting manner. "what did he say? What did you say?" she asked him with fear. Sanji blew smoke into the air. 

"told him that the straw hat pirates were taken care of, they shouldn't bother us for a while." Sanji said proudly. Everyone looked relieved. "I also found this," he commented, tossing what looked like a log pose in Nami's direction. The red head caught it and gasped. Tani looked at it, the name Alabasta written on the bottom. 

"good work Sanji!" Tani praised. The cook twirled and rambled about said praise, which everyone ignored. Nami looked at Vivi with excitement.

"we can head right to Alabasta now," she smiled at the blue haired girl. Everyone seemed excited at the thought. The crew boarded the ship and set sail (after Sanji and Zoro argued about who actually won the hunting contest). 

The giants of the island stood before the exit of the island, Luffy and Usopp waved and bid them farewell. The giants stood tall and proud, brandishing their weapons. 

"continue straight, don't diverge from that direction. You understand straw hat?" Dorry instructed, Luffy nodded and turned his gaze back to the open ocean. The sea began rumbling and rippling, a massive goldfish emerged from the depths with its maw opened wide. The Going Merry continued straight, right into the mouth of the beast. Nami panicked and requested they turn around, but Luffy told her to keep them going straight like Dorry instructed. The light slowly disappeared from the crews sight.

Slash! 

Light filled the crews vision, as the insides of the goldfish split open to reveal a now cleaned ocean. The crew turned back to the now weaponless giants, and waved farewell. Their sights now set on Alabasta.


	11. Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful... But There's No Fires Around To Be Delightful

"hey Nami? You're not looking so bright are you OK?" Tani commented to the navigator who was breathing heavily when trying to get out of bed. Nami turned to the concerned tracker and waved her off. 

"I'm fine," Nami said with a wispy voice. Her sweaty forehead and flushed cheeks said otherwise, but Tani wouldn't pester her about it. "have you seen Vivi? I need to ask her some questions about Alabasta," Nami asked.

"I think she's gone to relax on the deck, she probably needs time to relax since we're about to go all 'saving the country from a civil war'... It must be nerve wrecking if you ask me," Tani rambled, pulling out a shirt from a set of draws and slipping it on. Nami nodded and sluggishly pulled herself out of bed and wobbled out the door, Tani's concerned eyes watched her the whole time. 

...

"Nami!" the fearful cries of Vivi called out, interrupting the daily activities of the crew. Everyone rushed to the aid of their weakened navigator laying on the floor in a feverish mess. "who's a doctor?" Vivi cried, pulling Nami onto her lap to make the sickly women more comfortable. The crew looked at each other, then pointed at Nami. Vivi's face blanked.

"we need a doctor! This fever doesn't seem normal," Vivi said shakily. Nami shook her head, pulling herself off the ground and standing up painfully. Her hands gripping the railing of the Merry with whitened knuckles. "Nami hold still, you aren't well," Vivi stated. 

"we... We can't stop, I'm fine... Really," Nami struggled to reassure. Nobody bought it. Nami glared, "we can't stop, didn't you all see the papers this morning. Alabasta is on the brink of a civil war, we need to get there as fast as possible," Nami sounded desperate. Vivi looked pale, a flash of emotions flew across her face. Landing on a face of determination.

"you're right, we do need to get to Alabasta as fast as possible," Vivi parroted, a small smile crawled onto her face. "captain, set your courses for the closest island, we're finding a doctor," she smiled, turning to the navigator who sighed and smiled weakly back. Luffy grinned and commanded as Vivi had requested. The crew set to work, while they left Nami to rest for the day. 

The boat was set on course for the closest island. The crew decided to relax for for the ride there, worry for Nami's condition lingering in all their minds.

"I hope she didn't catch anything contagious, I would rather avoid flu season this year," Tani spoke aloud while messing around with a yo-yo. Luffy looked curious about her random statement. 

"flu season? Do you get sick often?" he asked, leaning forward from his spot atop the Merry's head. Tani gave him a nod. 

"sorta, it's a yearly thing. Do you not have flu season?" she responded. Luffy shook his head. "well if I think about it... Your out to sea all the time rather than cluttered in huge cities. So that space would probably make it harder to catch the flu or stomach bugs," she thought aloud. Luffy looked like his head was gonna explode from processing all that information. Tani laughed, spinning her yo-yo's absentmindedly. 

"sounds boring," Luffy stated bluntly, Tani giggled and nodded in agreement. Luffy lazed around, looking at Tani with a soft smile. "sailing the seas with nakama is the best," he sighed happily, closing his eyes and sunbathing. Tani couldn't agree more. 

The pair remained silent for the rest of the morning. At around lunch time they went to check on Nami, who had gotten worse. Not even Luffy's silly faces could put a smile on the sickly girls face. It wasn't a pretty sight... Tani felt knots curl and form in her stomach at the deathly look of pain and agony on Nami's face. It was awful... Sanji looked depressed when serving her lunch, which she failed to eat. Vivi didn't leave Nami's side for the whole day. 

"she hasn't woken up since late this morning," Vivi sounded like she was on the brink of tears. Tani sighed and left the room after Vivi's update on Nami's state. It made her feel uncomfortable, she hadn't been in a situation like this since her grandpa was in hospital for pneumonia. Man she hated the cold... 

"hey! Guys check this out," Usopp called from the deck. Everyone jumped up and ran for the front of the ship. Only to get slapped in the face with an icy breeze and a face full of snow! What the hell? It was sunny like 20 minutes ago! Luffy didn't seem bothered until someone pointed out his lack of warm clothing. "it looks like some guy is floating on the water?" Usopp pointed at the jester looking dude just chilling on the ocean. 

"what the actual-" Tani started. The guy rose from the ocean, standing atop a giant submarine... Of course they have submarines in this world! Why wouldn't they! Tani was so lost in her stupid brain that she didn't realize that the submarine had opened up and a gangplank lowered down. A huge hippo of a man waddled out and boarded their ship. Nore did she realize the crowd of armed men surrounding her and the others aboard the deck. 

The large man took a look around the boat, his eyes hungry with greed. What was he doing? Was he going to try a take over? Because he seemed to have a perfectly fine boat. 

"this vessel looks simply delicious," the chubby man commented. Tani's face blanked. Delicious? What is he gonna do? eat the- 

Chomp

"dont eat Merry!" Luffy shouted angrily at the man who was loudly chewing on the chunk of the ship his massive gob managed to chomp off the Merry. The small army of men who were surrounding the straw hats were swiftly taken out as everyone made a dash for this jackass. 

"do you know who I am?! I'm the king of this kingdom! Wapol!" yelled big guts. Luffy huffed, throwing his arms back to prepare an attack. 

"I don't care who you are, you bit Merry so I'm gonna kick your ass!" he declared, jumping towards Wapol. Tani was busy fending off a small group of goons to really be paying attention to Luffy's fight. Sanji's legs were flying around, while Zoro's blades clashed against the weapons of the goons. The sound of shots being fired and men shouting as their clothes set on fire were scattered around the deck.

Wapol opened his mouth wide, Luffy flew in much to the concern of Tani and the boys on deck. Who all froze as they watched the guy chew on the rubber man. Luffy's arms were still held out in preparation for a-

"gun gum bazooka!" he shouted, muffled by the closed mouth of Wapol. Luffy launched the man off the boat, sending him flying into the chilly oceans afar. His followers scrambled to chase after the man who probably had a devil fruit because that mouth was way too big for any regular human. The boat was freed from all the goons, leaving the crew to stand in confusion at the random encounter.

"well... I guess that confirms that there's an island nearby," Usopp broke the silence with a positive comment. Tani went to make a comment but a cold wind blew against her exposed skin... Oh right it's freezing! 

Tani ran back into the girls cabin, pulling out the huge winter coat she brought from the other dimension store. As well as swapping out her lucky cap for a warm beanie, earmuffs, gloves and a thick wooly scarf. She looked like the stay puff marshmallow man... A very grumpy marshmallow man. They better find a doctor soon, she hated this place already. The shallow breaths of Nami in the room made Tani feel sick to her stomach. 

"hang in there Nami," she whispered to the women, who groaned in pain. Vivi opened the door to the room and entered with a tray of food that was probably for Nami. Tani passed the blue haired princess without a word. Walking out on deck to find Luffy and Usopp making snowmen in the already thick layer of snow on the ship. Tani groaned at the snow... She hated the cold.

"how about a warm beverage for a lovely lady?" Sanji's suave voice asked. The dark skinned girl turned around to find a steaming cup of what looked like hot chocolate being handed to her by the god sent that is Sanji. She pulled her scarf down from her mouth and thanked the cook. Grabbing the mug and savouring the warmth it provided her. 

"Tani Tani! Come play with us," Luffy called out, waving from behind his snowman. Tani smiled reluctantly and shook her head. Luffy pouted for a split second... Before he had a mischievous look and ducked behind the cover of his snowman. What was he- 

Thwack!

A snowball collided with the unsuspecting victims face. Luffy's laughter filled the air, with some restrained snickers from Usopp. Tani remained frozen for a solid minute, she was mad... Mad and cold. If he wanted a war, he was gonna get one. 

She stood up slowly, her hand swiping the snowy residue from her chilled skin. Her eyes burned with annoyance. Luffy was too busy rolling in the snow laughing his ass off to notice her change in mood. Tani quietly scooped a handful of snowballs into her hands, holding them behind her back. She waltzed over in a nonchalant fashion, a sickly sweet smile on her face. Luffy looked up at her with a successful grin... He doesn't suspect a thing. 

Tani got in a little closer.

Almost there. 

Now! 

She pulled her arsenal of snowballs from behind her back and slammed them all into Luffy. Knocking the boy back onto the ground in a blanket of snow. She turned away with a maniacal laugh... Only for Luffy to throw another snowball at the back of her head with such force that she fell face first into the snow. Oh it's on! 

Tani grabbed fists full of snow and piffed them at the rubber man, who avoided her attempts to hit him again. This lead to an all out war between the girl, the captain and the sniper. Usopp never missed a shot, he was probably the winner of the snowball fight. That didn't really matter because the three were giggling and enjoying themselves for hours. This was probably the first time... That Tani had ever not been bothered by the cold. 

Dinner was pretty... Empty, without Nami around it just felt wrong. Her smile, her yelling when Luffy stole her food, her laugh at all the crews shenanigans. Everyone in the room seemed down. Even Luffy couldn't muster up the energy to steal as much food as he normally did. The atmosphere set Tani off, the girl slammed her hands on the table and stood up loudly. 

"this is just wrong... Nami is all alone in the girls cabin," Tani said solemnly. Lifting her eyes to look at everyone in the room, the boys looked pretty bummed out. Even Zoro seemed off, and that guy had the emotional range of a G.I Joe action figure. Vivi looked just as sad as she had all day. Tani perked up as a thought bubbled in her brain. "why don't we go and keep her company tonight?" she suggested with a grin. Everyone seemed to brighten at the thought. Guess we're having a sleepover.

...

Nami rubbed her eyes tiredly as she lifted herself into an upright position. Her hand propping herself up while the other held her heavy head. The sound of snoring filled the quiet air, her eyes turned to find Vivi sleeping peacefully at the foot of Nami's bed. Zoro and Usopp were sleeping on the carpeted ground, while Tani slept in her bed with Luffy half on her bed and half on the floor. Sanji was absent from the room, most likely on watch for the night. Nami smiled at the sight, thankful for the amazing nakama she found herself sailing the world with. 

...

"land ahoy!" Tani cheered from the crows nest, waving her arms to grab everyone's attention. Every able-bodied crew member ran to the front of the boat and looked at the massive mountain in the centre of the island. "let's get that doctor!" Tani said excitedly. 

The boat made its way inward to dock. Sanji went into the cabin to grab and escort Nami, because he didn't trust Luffy to do it since he's as reckless as a bull in a china store. The boat slowly sailed inland, the shadows of trees being obscured by the snowy wind... Wait a sec? The trees are moving? The small shadowy blobs coloured and revealed themselves to be people... People with guns. 

"leave!" a man shouted, his gun pointed towards the crew of the ship. A couple dozen men surrounded the banks of the lake, all of them aiming for those aboard the ship. Luffy held his shoulder but didn't move to attack just yet. Vivi stood beside Luffy with a concerned look in her eyes. "get out of this country!" another man demanded. 

Luffy seemed to be growing visibly upset with their demands. He rolled his arm once, a man panicked and fired. Vivi pushed Luffy out of the way, the bullet grazing her shoulder. A small patch of blood stained her clothes, her hand holding the stinging wound. Usopp and Tani dropped to her side, Luffy looked angry now. 

"Luffy stop!" Vivi commanded, Luffy halted and stared at her. "you call yourself a leader?! What leader resorts to violence?" she sounded saddened. Luffy's face dropped. Vivi turned back to the crowd of people, bowing to the ground. 

"please, help us. Our navigator is very ill, sh-she... She could die," Vivi's voice shook with concern and desperation. Luffy looked at the people and bowed his upper body.

"please, save my nakama," he asked simply, his voice sounded hurt. A mix of the situation being stressful and Vivi's comment striking a cord. Tani turned to Usopp who looked concerned. 

"wait," a deep, stoic voice called to the crowd. A large man in green armour called to the people, who all backed away to let him pass. "how can we trust you? Mere moments ago you threatened the people of this land. How do we know you won't just rampage our homes?" the man asked. Luffy tensed, scrunching up his face before lifting his head and staring deeply into the man's eyes. 

"please, she needs help... My nakama needs help," he pleaded. Tani had never seen him in such a state of distress. It was unnerving to say the least. Sanji walked onto deck with Nami piggy backing on him. The green armoured man turned to look at her and his eyes softened. 

"let them through," he said to the people, who all backed down. Some even offering to help them transport the sick navigator. Zoro stayed behind to guard the ship with Carue, the rest of the crew followed the armed men.

The trip to Bighorn (the town) was silent. Luffy was lost in thought, his face looking like a blank canvas. Tani bumped her shoulder against his and shot him a soft smile. He looked up at her, his blank face lightened slightly. Tani bumped into him again, Luffy's eyes flashed playfully. His shoulder bumped into hers, like a friendly game to lighten the mood. 

"we should be arriving shortly," Dalton (the green armoured man)  informed the straw hat crew. The tension seemed to ease up as the bright lights glittered in the distance. It looked like Christmas, Tani thought to herself with a childish smile. Luffy glanced at the girls awestruck face and found himself feeling warmer, his stomach did some weird flips... Maybe he was hungry. 

The crew tumbled into a small hut. A man who wasn't a doctor but still had some kind of medical training looked over Nami's condition and looked defeated. 

"it looks like she's going to need a professional, but Dr Kureha isn't down from the mountain at the moment," he stated. The crew looked among each other. What couldn't some random doctor look at her?

"what about your local doctor? Or a doctor in a town nearby?" Tani voiced her thoughts. Dalton shook his head.

"this land hasn't had any doctors since the rule of Wapol. Who banished all but 20 of the best doctors, and appointed them to work exclusively for him," Dalton explained... Of course! The closest island doesn't have doctors except the one on the giant ass mountain! What kind of unlucky hex had been placed on this crew? 

"so you're saying that the only doctor around is the one on the top of the mountain?" Usopp asked, Dalton nodded in confirmation. Everyone's faces dropped... Everyone except Luffy. 

"let's just climb the mountain," he stated like it was the most reasonable plan on earth. Everyone stared at him with blank expressions. Usopp being the first to vocalise his opinion.

"are you crazy?! How are you meant to climb a mountain? Let alone bring Nami who is so sick she can barely keep her eyes open!" Usopp complained, trying to reason with his crazy captain. 

"the mountain is also inhabited by Lapahn's. They're very dangerous creatures who are extremely territorial. It wouldn't be wise to make such a journey," Dalton stated. Luffy clenched his fists. 

"what else can we do? We don't know when the doctor will next show up. So we should go to the doctor," Luffy reasoned. He had a point, and if anyone could do it. It would be Luffy. "Nami, can you stay strong for me? We're gonna get you some help," he asked her. 

"Lu-ffy..." Nami's weak voice interrupted. All eyes were on her. "let's... Let's do it," she smiled, Luffy groaned from ear to ear and held out a hand to high five the navigator. With a clap of the hands, the deal was sealed. 

"I'm coming with you," Sanji declared, making his way to Nami. "I can't trust you to hold her delicately," Sanji pulled Nami onto his back, the girl limply laid on his back while Usopp went to tie a rope around the pair to prevent Nami from slipping off Sanji's back. 

"I'm coming too, you guys are going to need all the help you can get if you wanna make it to that mountain in one piece," Tani decided with little thought, Luffy smiled at her and nodded. 

"Usopp and I can stay here and wait for you guys to come back," Vivi said, Usopp let out a sigh of relief. Luffy nodded in confirmation, walking to the door. Tani quickly pulled off her earmuffs and shoved them into Nami's head. She needed them more than the tracker did anyway. 

"let's go find that doctor!" Luffy commanded, Sanji and Tani nodded and followed behind Luffy who was leading the way. The chill of the winter air nipping at the four travellers on a mission to save their nakama. 

...

"it's so cold..." Tani grumbled, trudging her legs through the knee deep snow. How the hell Luffy was running around in jorts! She would never know. "if I see that Wapol guy again, I'm going to shove his face into the snow and drown him..." Tani declared into her thick scarf. Luffy laughed, wrapping his warm arm around her shoulder. Tani melted at the touch, he was so warm! 

"hurry up Luffy," Sanji snapped at the captain, his face shifted into a more pleasant one when addressing Tani. "if you're so cold why not embrace me?" he offered, Tani appreciated the offer.

"you should focus on Nami's warmth, I'd just be stealing it," she replied, Sanji looked back at the napping Nami on his back and shifted her into a more comfortable position. Tani turned back to Luffy and slung an arm around his shoulders. 

A small rabbit charged at them for a solid 30 minutes before Luffy got feed up and punched the rabbit into the distance when it almost knocked Tani over. Tani felt a wave of panic hit her, didn't Dalton mention a dangerous creature that lurks in the woods? He didn't give a description of the beasts but it was probably a good idea to keep an eye on the area. 

"what's wrong? You still cold?" Luffy asked. Tani looked at the questioning boy and gave him a reassuring look. 

"well yeah, but I'll live," she assured, Luffy nodded and turned back to walking up the mountain base. Tani kept her eyes on the surrounding area. It felt like the snow had eyes, like they were being watched for every step they made. Did that snow just move or was she imagining things? She couldn't really say and it was bothering the hell out of her. 

A white blur swiped at the dark skinned girls face, her body jerked backwards. The white furry paw clipped the tip of her long fringe, which flew backwards with her. Luffy turned back to look at her, watching in surprise at the large form of a rabbit loomed over her downed self. The winded girl remained stuck in the snow. If he didn't act now, she would probably die. 

"gum gum pistol!" he launched a punch at the beast, sending it into the gathering pack of rabbit monsters. He ran towards Tani and hauled her up, the dizzy girl looked around in a daze before her brain registered what just happened. She grabbed Luffy by the collar of his jacket and dragged him away from the fight to catch up with Sanji before he was too overwhelmed. 

Sanji jumped and dodged as much as he could, not letting a single blow hit Nami nor himself. Luffy sent his fists flying at the creatures attacking Sanji, while Tani whipped her yo-yo's at them. The Duo fended off the creatures as best they could. The creatures even retreated! Much to the relief of the straw hats. Luffy and Tani stayed on either side of Sanji and Nami. Keeping their eyes peeled for any more surprise attacks. 

What they didn't suspect was a large number of the rabbits to rally at the top of the hill. They stood in a line, like a barricade to prevent them from passing. They proceeded to jump up and down, the impact of their jumps sent shockwaves through the earth below them. The crackly rumble of snow shifting sent Tani's stomach to drop. 

"shit! The bastards are starting an avalanche!" she screamed, the cigarette in Sanji's mouth dropped as they looked on in horror at the rushing wave of snow racing down the mountain to submerge them. 

"head for cover!" Sanji called as he ran towards a small spike of land, that wouldn't have enough room for the four of them. The space would be safe from the snow. He dived for it, his hands firmly gripped around Nami to steady her. Luffy and Tani continued to run past, searching desperately for cover. Luffy perked up when his vision landed on a sturdy looking tree up ahead. 

Luffy looped his arm around Tani's waist, while the other grabbed the tree top. He launched himself with Tani in tow into the tree. Tani screamed rather pathetically, she still was not a fan of heights. Luffy's hold of her didn't loosen when they landed atop the tree, her arms found themselves wrapped around his neck so she didn't fall. A small whimper of fear left her throat as she looked down at the rushing snow the approached the tree. 

The snow came much faster and much harder than the pair anticipated. The snow smashed into the tree, knocking it over. Both of them lost their grips on each other. Luffy went flying while Tani was caught on a branch that tangled around her scarf. She watched in horror as the sea of snow engulfed her view, the panicked eyes of Luffy staring into her terrified ones. She held and arm out, grabbing at Luffy but the snow was quick to consume her. Her senses grew cold, her breathing ceased. Her final thought lingered in her mind... 

...Oh how she hated the cold...


	12. Isn't The Reindeer Meant To Have A Red Nose? The One That's Very Shiny?

Cold... It's so cold. The thought repeated over and over in the frozen girls mind. Her limbs grew numb, she could barely stay conscious. Was she even conscious? Was she dreaming? Astral projecting? Maybe she was dead. The girl wasn't aware, all she knew was she was cold.

The muffled cries of people she knew called her name, the voices were desperate and distressed. I'm here! It's cold please help me! I'm stuck! Don't leave me! She cried in her mind, her voice frozen just like the rest of her body. 

It was dark... So very dark and cold. Like a nightmare world where she was drowning. The crunching of the snow above her signalled that her nakama were near. Please help me! I'm right here! Please! She couldn't even cry. The world dulled as her limbs had done moments ago, everything seemed so quiet... So very very quiet. 

...

Tani launched herself forward, her breathing was heavy and uneven. Tears rolled down her face as she choked on the air that flooded her lungs. A cold shiver ran up and down her spine, instinctively she pulled the blanket around her closer... Wait a blanket? She looked around at her surroundings. Grey stone walls lined with shelves upon shelves of bottles and jars, multiple white beds lined up with one another. It looked like a medieval hospital. 

Tani grabbed her head as a killer headache knocked against her skull. Her hiss of pain echoed back at her, she was alone in the room. Letting out a sigh she went to reach for her backpack, every muscle screamed in protest but she didn't care. If she was bed ridden, she was going to entertain herself. Half way down she heard the sound of a door being opened. The person entering must have been small because their foot steps sounded light. 

A shadow that look... Nonhuman? Danced across the wall, Tani was stuck in her position. Watching the shadow get closer and closer, what she saw was just... What? 

A small deer? It had antlers, and it wasn't ugly like a moose. The little guy wore a pink top hat with a white X in the centre. They looked about the height of a her leg, with the fluffy appeal of a teddy bear that made her just wanna snuggle them. The deer didn't seem aware that she was awake yet, their breathing was heavy like they'd been running. Their hands were holding onto a wall, almost like they were hiding but the wrong way. 

"I think you're meant to go the other way," Tani pointed out. The deer squeaked and slowly moved until their body was covered and their head peaked out slightly. The door burst open and in came Luffy, running into the room like mad man. 

Luffy noticed Tani was awake. He stood in place while still running on the spot, his face lit up like Christmas lights. 

"Tani! You're awake!" he yelled, Tani grabbed her head with a wince of pain. "have you seen a small deer guy run through here? About this high, and has a hat," Luffy asked. 

Tani's eyes landed on the widened eyes of the deer in question. Tani shook her head. The deer let out a sigh of relief. Luffy didn't notice.

"why?" she asked, curious about this little deer. Luffy gave her his signature laugh.

"he's gonna be our new nakama," he declared... Well that was not what she expected. "he's a doctor! And super cool," Luffy justified. Tani was surprised to hear that he was the doctor.

"wait so he's the doctor that lives on the mountain? Last I remember, I was buried under 6ft of snow, how did we get here?" she asked aloud. Luffy's grin dropped a bit. 

"yeah, Sanji and I dug you out of the snow and I carried you up the mountain," he informed, Tani's eyes noticed the bloodied bandages around his hands and feet. Her eyes turned away and looked at the bland grey wall that was now very interesting all of a sudden. 

"how's Nami and Sanji?" she moved away from the topic of her avalanche indlcident. 

"they're fine, Nami's all better now. Sanji and Nami are both talking to the old lady doctor right now," he answered. Old lady doctor? 

"so the little deer guy isn't the doctor?" she asked, Luffy looked confused. 

"he's a doctor, he lives with this old lady that looks young but has an old women face," he explained, that didn't really explain the deer being a doctor. "I think he works for her, or with her? I dunno," he said. "but he helped make everyone better, look he even bandaged my hands and feet," he pointed at his feet and waved his hands. Tani felt guilty... She caused that.

"guess I shouldn't have come along then, seems like I was only dead weight," she laughed at herself, guilt present in her tone. Luffy stopped smiling altogether. 

"no you're not," he pouted. Tani laughed that bitter laugh again, turning to face her captain. 

"name one thing that I did through that whole trip that you couldn't have done without me," she challenged. Crossing her arms as if she'd already won the argument. Luffy paused, the gears in his head clicked away in thought. 

"does it matter? You came along, and I think its just fine that you did," he answered, looking proud of his answer. "don't beat yourself up about it," he smiled. Tani felt awkward about the positivity.

"h-hey I think I saw that deer run past the door, hurry and you might catch him," she lied with feigned excitement, Luffy took the bait and sprinted out the door while calling loudly. Tani sighed in defeat, her head being engulfed in the pillow she was using as a headrest. Once Luffy was completely out of sight, Tani whispered an "all clear," to the deer. 

The deer looked calmer now, his features were large and plush like. He honest to god looked like a teddy bear from the stuffed toys section. He wandered cautiously closer to her bed, his face holding a level of nervousness and concern. 

"how's your head?" he asked! He can talk?! Tani was at a loss for words. 

"I-uh oh um my... My head? Oh yeah my head haha well yes my head is indeed a head yes it is," she sputtered, getting nowhere she groaned at herself and slapped her cheeks. Refreshing her brain, "sorry... My head feels like its been crushed by a tonne of freezing cold snow," she breathed. The deer nodded and proceeded to reach up to grab something off one of the shelves. He handed her a small ball with a pill like feel to it. 

"try this, it should help numb the pain a bit. The straw hat guy told us you were buried under snow for over 10 minutes, you're very lucky to be alive," the deer said. Tani blinked before popping the small ball in her mouth, dry swallowing the pill like object. Hoping to just push that thought into the back of her mind. 

"so what's your name?" Tani asked curiously. The deer halted in his movements for a second before resuming.

"it's Tony Tony Chopper," he answered shyly. Tani gave him a grin. Too cute!

"well Tony Tony, the names Tanisha. My friends call me Tani," she held her hand out to shake. Chopper shakily put his hoof in her hand and shook. He was so.... So small. Tani had to hold back the squeals of cuteness. "uh, it would probably be a good idea to make a run for it. Luffy will probably come into this room again," she giggled, already feeling the effects of the medicine. 

"ah! You're right. He's been chasing me for the last hour," Chopper groaned. Tani chuckled.

"that's the captain for ya. Honestly once he's set his mind on something, there's no changing it," she sighed. Chopper wasn't impressed with that idea. Tani reached down to grab her bag, chopper ran over and held it up for her to make it easier to grab. 

"hey, do you like sweets? I wanna thank you for helping my nakama and I," she held out a small lollipop. Chopper looked at it curiously, Tani unwrapped it and pushed it closer to him. He sniffed it before grabbing it and popping it in his mouth, squeaking in delight. At least someone was happy in this room.

Chopper excused himself and left the room to help the actual doctor, a women named Dr Kureha. The women was watching over Nami and Sanji in another room. The relief of knowing Nami was alive and well was a welcome feeling. However now that Chopper was gone, the room felt lonely. She really wanted to talk with someone... Preferably not Luffy. She felt awful for the damage she caused him. The image of his bloodied bandages haunted her brain, shaking her head violently to throw the images into the abyss. 

Why did she even bother coming along anyway? She was a nervous wreck at the mere thought of heights, what did she think she was going to do once they made it to the mountain? Walk back? Piggy back off Luffy? There's no way she would have climbed the mountain herself. She had no reason to go along with the fully capable Luffy and Sanji. Yet Luffy wasn't upset that she came along, she should have just stayed with Usopp and Vivi. Luffy probably wouldn't have been as hurt if she had just stayed behind. 

The door burst open again, the sound of Chopper screaming followed by Luffy laughing and declaring Chopper as his new nakama. The pair ran past the girl like some roadrunner cartoon. Circling around the room loudly, while a cold breeze from outside the room sent an uncomfortable feeling through Tani. 

Tani pushed herself out of the bed, the boys didn't notice since then were so focused on each other. The injured girls limbs all cried in protest, but she needed that door closed. She had had enough of the cold for the rest of her life. 

"hey! You shouldn't be out of bed yet," Chopper said, Tani turned around to find both boys looking at her with concern... She hated it. 

"I'm fine, just going for a walk," she forced a smile. Chopper crossed his arms at her defiance of his authority, Luffy looked at her with a knowing look. She rolled her eyes and walked out the door, ignoring Chopper's complaints. 

The cold was awful, who thought it was a good idea to have the entrance door open? It would have been too big for her to close anyway so she wouldn't bother trying. Pulling her jacket closer to herself, she went to pull her scarf closer... Only to find it absent from her person. Did she lose it in the avalanche? It didn't matter, that was the reason she was trapped in the first place now that she thinks about it. 

Her heavy boots clicked through the echoing halls of the large empty castle. It was driving her up the wall! Was she just annoyed at herself for being so useless? Or was she just being stupid about the whole situation? She knew that deep down, she couldn't have done much to stop herself from getting hit with the avalanche. It wasn't her fault that Luffy climbed the mountain with her in tow, he made that choice and she owed him her life for it. The guilt of something she couldn't control weighted down on her. She growled aloud, her voice bouncing off the walls and surrounding her. Her hands clapping over her ears.

Where's mum when you need her? Tani just needed a hug at this point, but was holding herself back from asking anyone for one. She was practically punishing herself for no reason, and she knew it. Yet she felt like she deserved this. 

Huh? That's odd... Tani fell silent, her voice stopped echoing... But something else was bouncing off the walls. A laugh? Where had she heard it? It wasn't Luffy, nor any voices she knew by heart. She turned around to investigate. Her hands connecting with the guard rails that lined the level she was standing on. She lifted her hands to cup her ears, pointing them towards the entrance.

"what have they done to my beautiful castle!?" 

The colour drained from the girls face... Didn't Dalton mention that this castle belonged to... 

"Luffy!" she cried aloud, slamming open the door to the room she last saw him in. He jumped up from the bed he was sitting on, his eyes wide with alertness. "Wa-" she coughed from running, her hands resting on her screaming limbs. "Wapol... Wapol! He's here!" she choked. 

Chopper froze on the spot, his limbs shaking like a leaf. Luffy's eyes narrowed. 

"Tani, stay here," Luffy commanded. The girl swallowed the build up of saliva in her mouth, her eyes widened. 

"but-" she went to protest, but the look in his eyes told her that she wasn't winning this argument. She scowled at herself, walking back to the bed. Her shoulder brushing against Luffy's, her way of wishing him luck. "you better come back in one piece, I won't forgive you if that ugly mug is the one to down the future pirate king," she stated smugly.

Luffy looked over his shoulder with a determined smirk, giving her a nod and walking out the door. Chopper looked between where Luffy was, and where Tani sat. Luffy really did love his nakama... Maybe... Maybe he would... Chopper shook his head. There was no way. He was a monster after all. He turned to follow after Luffy.

"good luck out there Tony Tony," Tani gave him a soft smile. Chopper felt his cheek glow, his body did a little dance while he insulted her for wishing him luck. Earning a giggle from the girl. 

"stay in bed," he ordered Tani. The girl giving him a mock salute before dramatically flopping onto the bed. Chopper approved and walked out the room, leaving the girl alone once again. 

Only five minutes later did Luffy come running into the room with his arms rubbing his exposed limbs. Tani shot him a confused look. 

"can I borrow your jacket?" he requested, Tani's face scrunched up. 

"what happened to yours?" she asked curiously. Luffy looked away. 

"well it kinda fell down the mountain, I was using it to keep you secured while climbing. It didn't work very well and fell off," he answered while rubbing the back of his head. Tani slipped the jacket off straight away and shoved it in his arms. 

"try to keep it clean,"

...

When a loud crashing noise ripped the dark skinned girl from the music humming in her ears. She found herself face to face with the steel face and wild dark blue hair of Wapol. She shrieked as he charged towards her with his mouth open. She rolled out of the way, her legs were tangled with her blanket though so she slammed into the hard stone ground. What the hell was he doing in here? Where's Luffy? 

"stay still!" Wapol commanded in an entitled manner. Tani held the blanket in her hands, her heart rate accelerated. His hungry eyes looked into her terrified ones. Remain calm, you can do this Tani. She encouraged herself, but her heart didn't believe her. Wapol laughed deeply, licking his lips and opening his mouth to take a bite at the downed girl. 

She let out a scream as she whipped the blanket up from around her, throwing it over Wapol. As if he was in a net, he wobbled and shook the blanket around in an attempt to free himself. Tani didn't have much time to run. Her bag was next to Wapol, so she couldn't grab it... And her yo-yo's were in her jacket which was with Luffy. She groaned and charged outside the door. Wapol's angry shouts followed behind her as she made a dash for the hall way, panicked whines escaped her throat as she ran as fast as she could from the enormous man chasing after her. Her legs hurt, the cold hurt, everything hurt! Where's Luffy?! Was Nami and Sanji safe? What about Tony Tony?

A set of stairs appeared up ahead, and with her luck! They were slippery as all hell and with her bare feet being exposed to them! She slipped all the way up the stairs, scrapping her arms and knees as she bolted up the stairs. Why did she remove her shoes?! Her gasps and huffs bounced off the walls. The clapping of her feet against the stairs, the clanking of Wapol's shoes... And the slapping of sandals?! 

Without a word, an arm wrapped around the girls waist. Another arm  was sent flying passed her. 

"gum gum rocket!" the blessed voice of Luffy called from behind her. Her feet lifted off the ground, tangled brown hair whipped behind her as Luffy slingshot them up the stairs. Tani closed her eyes, the blur of colours wasn't doing her fading headache any favours. 

"you ok?" Luffy's voice asked. Tani snickered.

"if you consider getting attacked by a large mouthed man with the same appetite as a humpback whale, while being defenseless as ok. Then yeah I'm totally ok," she joked. Luffy snickered with her. Slowing down at the top of the stairs. Luffy kept his hold of her while she steadied herself. His focus on the area surrounding them. The centre of the room had a weapon or something. Luffy slid the jacket off and handed it back to Tani.

"wait outside," he ordered, Tani pulled the jacket on. It was really warm. Tani turned to one of the open windows, swallowing the lump in her throat. Luffy put a hand on her shoulder. "you'll be ok," he grinned. Tani nervously nodded. 

Grabbing the window frame with shaky hands and slipping out the room onto the roof. The harsh winter winds berated her weak little body with cold snow. Don't look down! Don't look down! Don't look- 

Her body froze as she stared at the long fall that awaited her if she slipped. Her hands gripped so hard that she felt like her veins would burst. Her breathing shifted from extremely fast, to nonexistent! Her vision zoomed in and out, a dizzy spell over coming her senses. Her grip didn't falter. She needed to stay there until Luffy gave her the all clear. Focus on the battle.

"what! It's blocked?!" Wapol shouted. Luffy's snickers were like music to Tani's ears. "ugh! That doesn't matter, I'll just..." Wapol paused, followed by the sound of mechanical thingymabobs doing their mechanical thing. Tani didn't dare look, she needed to remain hidden. 

A loud bang went off, followed by the sound of a wall being smashed to bits. Wapol laughed with victory in his tone. Only to be cut off when-

"gum gum bowgun" Luffy announced, the sound of a body colliding with the roof and smashing into the ground was heard. Tani smiled. Wapol groaned, the sound of Luffy's sandals hitting the floor as he closed the gap between him and the ugly hippo man. Wapol shuffled backwards. The sweet sound of the small bell around Luffy's neck jingled as he lifted Wapol by the collar of his clothes. The man whimpered pathetically.

"please, don't hurt me. I'll do anything! You can... You can be the second king! Rule by my side," he cried. Luffy huffed at the man. 

"nah," Luffy answered bluntly. Wapol whimpered, Luffy's arms shot out the window. Tani watched them whip passed her in awe. "gum gum-"

"no wait! Please! Is it money you want? I'll give you-" Wapol begged. 

"bazooka!" his arms flew by the girls head. Wapol cried as he was sent flying in the opposite direction, the wall he flew out of crumbling away. The shock waves felt familiar, a jolt of fear ran up the girls spine as her footing loosened. Slipping on the icy tiles of the roof. She let out a shriek. A strong hand grabbed her wrist before she fell further, the smiling face of Luffy greeted her now relieved one. 

"let's get back inside," she spoke nervously, Luffy hauled her back into the room with him. She felt cold just looking at him in his vest and jorts. Slipping one arm out of the jacket, opening the jacket and clearing her throat to grab his attention towards the offer. Luffy accepted, slipping an arm into the free sleeve. The pair walked down the stairs together while sharing the jacket, Tani's cheeks having changed to a strawberry red against chocolatey cheeks. 

...

Tani entered the now smashed up room to collect her belongings. Luffy was running around looking for Chopper, still hoping to recruit him. Luffy had some how gotten a jacket from Nami who totally didn't steal it. Which was great because now he wouldn't freeze to death on the climb down the mountain... She shivered at the thought of the climb down. She refused to ask Luffy to carry her down, he'd already done enough for her in the last couple however long. A long sigh left her throat. 

"so you are awake," a new voice entered the room, it sounded like an old women. Tani turned to be face with the body of a vogue model, and the face of a Halloween witch. The women chugged a bottle of what looked like wine. "how you feeling?" she asked with a level of authority, Tani knew she was the boss. 

"well I don't feel like I'm dying, so alive," she joked, the women didn't seem impressed. Tough crowd... "thank you for helping my nakama get well again," she smiled. 

"just doing my job," she took another swig of her drink. "now I have a little job I need you to do," she started. Tani paused in her movement.

"what's the job?" Tani responded. The women smirked.

"keep an eye on Chopper for me will ya," she laughed. So Chopper was joining the crew. She smiled and nodded in affirmation. The doctor gave a sigh of relief. Tani pulled her bag in front of her and dug out a spare bell, handing it to the doctor.

"here, it's not much but I think you'll appreciate having one," Tani told as she gave the doctor the bell. The women held the bell and shook it, hearing no noise. "it's a special bell, one that only I can hear. I like to think if them as silent reminders of the people I've met on my wild adventures," she explained. The doctor laughed. 

"what an odd bunch you lot are," she stated, Tani couldn't agree more.

...

"Zoro what are you doing here?" Tani asked when noticing the green haired swordsman standing beside Usopp and Vivi... How did all of them get here?.. In fact why was Zoro wearing an enemy coat and not his own.

"what's wrong with me being here huh?" he glared, though he looked happy to see everyone was alright. 

"well whose guarding the ship?" Nami asked with her arms crossed. Zoro huffed. 

"the duck," he answered nonchalantly.

"you left Carue alone!?" Vivi seemed to finally realise. Glaring daggers at Zoro, who brushed her look off like it was nothing. 

"well how about we get off this mountain, we have a country to save," Nami declared. 

"wait we need to wait for Luffy and Chopper," Tani reminded, the others looked at the entrance to the castle. Waiting for the pair to arrive. 

What they didn't expect was Chopper shouting for them to run, while Luffy flew behind the rushing deer (who looked more like a deer than before) in a bobsled filled with baggage. The crew all shrieked in panic, dodging the speeding sled. A large knife and other sharp objects followed behind them as the doctor women screamed at Chopper. The straw hats ran towards the sled, Zoro and Sanji managed to get on. The boys helped the stragglers onto the sled. Once everyone was on Sanji shouted for them to go. 

Chopper jumped off the edge of the mountain. It felt like that scene from E.T with the bike, mixed with Santa flying his sleigh through the night sky. The full moon illuminated the white snow. It was a beautiful sight... Had they not been running away for a maniac throwing sharp weapons. 

The sled crashing into the ground, everyone bounced in their seats. Nobody was hurt though. Chopper raced down the mountain side, heading towards the ocean with a grim look. It didn't make sense... She wanted Chopper to leave, she had asked Tani to keep an eye on him for her... So why did she react that way? Second thoughts? Who knew. 

Boom! 

Everyone's eyes shot up to the sky. The explosion of canon fire rumbled the mountain. What they saw however...

Pink. A cloud of bright pink clouds filled the skies. The snow was stained the bright colour. Nami and Sanji seemed to gasp with acknowledgement of something that Tani did understand. The crew gasped in awe, while the silent sniffles of Chopper went unnoticed. Tears trailed down his face as he realised that the country was cured. A smile adorned his face as he ran faster and faster. Flakes of pink snow falling all around him. 

The straw hats boarded the Going Merry happily, well mostly happy. Zoro got socked in the jaw by Vivi when she found Usopp and Luffy fishing Carue out of the frozen ocean. The duck quacked with a shiver, Chopper nodded and spoke. 

"he said he dived in after Zoro because he was worried," Chopper said, Luffy and Tani gasped in awe. 

"you can talk to animals?!" Luffy gasped, his eyes twinkled. "that's awesome!" he cheered. 

"everyone," Nami beckoned the crew over. A tray of drinks were held out to everyone. "to having a new nakama!" she declared. 

"to new nakama!" they cheered, clinking their drinks and chugging them. Chopper couldn't stop smiling as he watched his nakama joking around with chop sticks and dancing together. He was going to like it here.


	13. Who The Hell Is This Straw Hat Kid Everyone Is Looking For?! ... Dude I Just Wanted A Water

"and there you go," Tani grinned at her handy work. Chopper looked in awe at the small bell necklace that Tani made for him. "now if you get lost, just shake it and I'll come running ok?" she explained. Chopper nodded in understanding. 

"Tani! Come fish with us," Luffy waved at the girl with the spare fishing rod in hand. She snickered and walked over, grabbing the fishing rod and plopping herself in between Usopp and Luffy. Chopper walked over to watch. They sat there peacefully, nothing was biting the lines but that didn't really them much.

"hey what's that?" Usopp asked, pointing towards a steamy spot on the ocean. Nami walked down the stairs, approaching the boys (and girl).

"that's the steam from an underwater volcano, the heat from the volcano causes the water to steam up," she explained. Tani looked at the spot, she remembered something her science teacher had mentioned.

"that means in a couple million years there should be a new island," she added to Nami's statement. Usopp and Luffy looked amazed. "at least that's what my teacher said, because of all the magma and stuff from the volcano builds up into and island or something... I think?" she questioned herself. The boys were too busy talking about how cool it would be to see an new island rise from the ocean. 

Nami looked impressed with Tani's knowledge, she didn't look like someone interested in geography. Not that it really mattered, Tani was a mystery to the ship. It was still a wonder that of all the ships she could have appeared on, it was the Going Merry that she placed on. 

She still had many quirks that the other crew members didn't have. From her slower healing rate, her higher level of hearing, the electricity powered devices and her odd terms of speech. She was quite the weird one. 

"I think we just caught a guy?!" Tani shrieked as the steam cleared from the ship, attached to the trios fishing lines was a man? He had the face shape of a man but dressed in a more feminine manner. They pulled him onto the boat, the man looked grateful for their rescue. Which he expressed in a very flamboyant way. 

"nyoooo~ thank you so much for saving my life," he thanked, twirling on the tip of his toes like a ballerina. Yeah! He looks like a male ballerina. Luffy found his act very amusing. "for you lovelies see, I can not swim~" he sang. 

"devil fruit?" Tani asked. The ballerina pointed his leg her way, his back bending in an arch that hurt to look at. 

"correct!" he rolled the R. His energy was insane. To be expected on these oceans. "shall I demonstrate?~" he sang. Luffy nodded enthusiastically, which the ballerina responded with by slamming his palm into the unsuspecting boys face. Luffy smacked into a wall. Zoro woke up From his nap and was on high alert, his thumb brushed against the handle of his most beloved sword. Only to lower his guard and walk over and observer the oddity on the ship. 

"who's the weirdo?" Zoro whispered to Tani, who shook her head.

"some guy who we caught on our fishing lines, he just smacked Luffy in the face so I dunno what's his deal," she replied blankly, keeping her distance from the guy. Luffy got back up and rubbed his head, he stomped over to the guy to give him a piece of his mind when he came face to face with a mirror image of himself. 

"woah! It's me! But I'm me?" Luffy marvelled, the Luffy copy mimicked his movements. The copy tapped his cheek, changing back to the ballerina man. "now you're you again! That's awesome," Luffy praised. 

"such is the power of Bon Clay nyooo~" Bon Clay exclaimed while taking a bow. He tapped everyone's faces, well except for Sanji who wasn't there and Vivi who was standing back with a concerned look in her eyes. "you see, I can become anyone I've touched~" he said with a sing song voice. Taping his other cheek and showing off the many faces he had collected.

"I can mimic their voices," he said with Zoro's voice, the swordsman face contorted in discomfort. "I can even copy their body," he said with Nami's face, slipping his clothes off to reveal more of the poor women's body than anyone present wanted to see. 

Nami slammed her fist into his head, embarrassment clawing at her cheeks. Bon Clay laughed it off with Tani's voice, sending a shiver up the girls spine. It sounded just like her... It was weird. He cycled through many faces the crew didn't know, it was wild. So many different people were forever remembered by this man. 

"Bon Clay!? Bon Clay!?" chanted a choir of men from a small pink swan boat that rolled beside the Merry. Bon Clay waved at them with his flamboyant arm movements. They all cheered at his appearance. 

"I'm afraid this is where we part ways straw hat," Bon Clay cried, Luffy got emotional as well. Crying as they parted ways. "we will always be nakama! Nyooo~" Bon Clay cheered with teary eyes, Luffy, Usopp and Chopper all choked up with tears as they bid their new friend farewell. What a weird experience.

"oh shoot, I forgot to give him a bell," Tani said with a little disappointment. Luffy pouted sadly as he watched the swan boat speed ahead. "wonder if we'll ever meet again," she thought aloud. 

"we will..." Vivi answered ominously. Curious looks turned to her. "because that man is Mr 2..." she looked panicked. Everyone on the ship seemed surprised, he was such a riot and friendly to boot. How could he work for such an awful organization?

"how can you be sure? I mean you wouldn't have met him because of the whole ranks and secrets thing," Tani asked. Vivi nodded with a scrunched face.

"one of those faces was my father's, is heard about Mr 2's devil fruit power... But this could only spell out trouble," Vivi sounded defeated. Zoro let out a small chuckle, attention now on him. 

"then I guess it's lucky that we met him," Zoro smirked, Vivi looked confused. "because now we know what he's capable of, we can counter it," he explained. 

"that's genius," Usopp said excitedly, lightly punching Zoro's shoulder. Who scowled back, scaring Usopp away. Sanji walked out of the kitchen, looking confused about the conversation.

"so how do we counter someone who can copy everything about us?" Nami pondered. Zoro's smirk grew, already having a plan in mind. 

"with these," Zoro pulled out a handful of white cloths, from where? Who knows. "not just these though, does anyone have a marker?" why would we need a marker? 

"I've got one," Usopp said while rummaging his bag, handing the black marker to the swordsman. Zoro proceeded to draw an X mark on his lower arm and wrapped the cloth around it.

"the true marker is the X on our arms. Bon Clay won't know about it so if someone you ask for proof of identity doesn't show off the X first, they're a fake," Zoro said matter-of-factly. 

"wow even the idiot moss head can have a good idea for once," Sanji mocked, Zoro shot him a death glare. 

Everyone took it in turns drawing an X on their arms and tying the cloths around it. Even Carue got one. The crew held their fists out in a circle on the count of three, raised them with a cheer. The crew was ready to take on whatever the evil organization had to offer. 

...

"Luffy!" Tani called out as she skated through the streets of Nanohana. The rest of the crew found a spot to hide while Sanji and Chopper left to grab supplies. Luffy had dashed off the second the boat landed, so Tani was left to wander the streets of the desert country in search of the ever hungry captain. 

She'd entered every eating establishment she could find, none of them had seen the straw hatted vacuum cleaner. It'd been half an hour and she still hadn't found him! She rolled around until spotting the last restaurant she could have entered. If he wasn't there, than boy was she going to kill him when she found him. 

Rolling into the small establishment, she found herself staring at a rather odd sight. Everyone was crowded around this one guy with his face fallen flat into a pile of food, his hand still held up a fork with food on it as if ready to take a bite. People were poking and prodding at his lifeless body. Tani didn't really have time to watch, she had her idiot captain to find. 

"excuse me," she waved her hand in front of the bar tenders face to grab his attention. "have you seen a guy with a straw hat, red vest, probably able to clear out your entire stock of food in one sitting?" she asked for the thousandth time. The man looked at her with a sigh. 

"same thing I told that guy," he pointed at the man with his face buried in food, "I haven't seen this Luffy kid," he said. 

Hold on a second, this guy was looking for Luffy too? What did he want with him? Was he a bounty hunter?.. On second thought, that looked like a Jolly Roger tattooed on his back. 

Tani was so focused on this man, that when he woke up again she shrieked and fell off her chair. The crowd around him looked shocked that the man wasn't dead. In fact he just picked up from the middle of a sentence he was probably saying before passing out. 

"-see him then can you tell him to find me... What's with the crowd?" the man said nonchalantly, the crowd of people all yelled at him about thinking he was dead. He just shrugged at them and turned back to his meal like he hadn't just passed out for who knows how long. 

Tani didn't know whether or not she should confront this guy about his need to find Luffy. Luffy is a tough guy, but if this man is a threat then she doesn't want to take any chances. She decided to eavesdrop on the man's conversation with the bartender. 

"look I've already told you, I haven't seen him. What's the odds that he'll show up here?" the bartender sounded annoyed. The man laughed, biting the food on his fork. 

"where there's food, there's a Luffy," he said. Does he know Luffy? Or is this just information he's gathered? Tani felt nervous... And thirsty. 

"can I have a water please?" Tani asked the bartender. The man looked at her with a sigh, but complied and handed her the glass. She felt the man staring at her with curious eyes. She side glanced him, making eye contact which she quickly broke. 

"do I know you?" he asked, leaning his face on the palm of his hand. His gaze held fire, a hint of recognition in his eyes. 

"nope," she said into her cup, the water bubbling some of her voice. The man's eyes squinted as if trying to analyse her more. He turned away with a sigh. 

"you wouldn't happen to have seen a kid running around with a straw hat?" he asked. Tani froze, and he noticed. "you have!" he leaned in closer. Tani pulled away, the cup still in her hold. The bartender rolled his eyes.

Before the guy could say anything more to her, the door to the restaurant opened up. A familiar smokey smell filled the air. Tani turned to face the new arrival, only to turn her head back as fast as she could. Cursing under her breath at the familiar face. The guy next to her turned around in his chair and smirked. 

"fire fist Ace? What are you doing this half of the Grandline?.. Never mind, I'm not here to capture you anyway," Smoker grunted at Ace. Tani lowered herself closer to the counter, her hat now in her lap. Ace gave her a side glance, noticing how nervous she looked. "I'm looking for straw hat Luffy," he said aloud. The bartender threw his hands up in frustration.

"kids not here!" he ranted, Smoker raised a brow. Looking back at Ace in realisation. He looked like he was ready to fight the pirate, Ace was  
Pretty much the same. "get out of my bar!" the bartender yelled, shooing in the men's direction. They ignored him. 

Tani wasn't focusing on the tension between the two men. No, her attention shifted to the jingling of a bell. A sigh escaped her lips. 

"refill please," she said. The man gave her an annoyed look, but took the glass anyway. She turned to look at the entrance, noticing the hands now grabbing the frame of the door. 

3..2..1 

"Rocket!" Luffy announced, his rubber body slamming into the back of Smoker. The momentum sent Smoker flying into Ace, the pair being shot through... One, two, five. Five different buildings. Luffy of course didn't notice anything and just ran to empty spot that Ace once sat, and started eating his food. 

"Luffy..." Tani sighed, the boy turned to her with stuffed cheeks and smiled. 

"oh hey Tani!" he said with his mouth still full. She deadpanned at him but he was too focused on 'his' meal to notice or care. The bartender walked back with the full glass, dropping it when he noticed the damage done to his place. Tani shrugged at him and turned back to Luffy. 

"straw hat!" Smokers angry voice growled from the rubble. His smoke danced around him as he approached the pair. Tani grabbed Luffy by the shoulders, hoping to pull him away from the bar. Luffy looked up at Smoker with wide eyes. Pausing in his movements... Then shoving the rest of the food into his mouth, turning around and bolting out the door. Smoker looked at Tani, oh shit. 

"you're the kid from the fountain!" he growled, Tani had no time to reply before a rubber hand grabbed her shoulders and pulled her backwards with a shriek. She shot in front of a grinning Luffy, her blades still attached to her feet. Luffy pulled himself onto her back just as he had in Little Garden. Piggy backing off her as she zoomed through the streets of Nanohana. 

"Luffy after this I'm going to kill you!" she yelled as she almost slammed into a barrel. 

"hold on!" he said. What does he mean hold- 

His arm shot upwards, attaching to the top of a building. His legs tightened around her waist as he pulled them off the ground. Tani screamed, because of course he would pull her off the ground and into the air! What kind of action adventure would this be without that! 

The landing was wobbly, Tani's legs turned to jelly from her initial shock. The sound of Smoker shouting at them snapped her legs back to normal, she raced across the rooftops. 

Now jumping between buildings was the most terrifying thing she had ever had to do, more scary than her fight with Pearl, more horrifying than the avalanche, heck even Luffy chasing her with murderous intent had nothing on this. She would clench her eyes shut everytime a jump came up, letting out a little gasp of fear every time she jumped. 

"hey! I see everyone," Luffy called to Tani, without warning he grabbed the edge of the building they were on and tossed them off together. Tani blacked out for a moment, it was just too much for her brain to handle. Coming back around when Luffy shook her shoulders. Sanji and Nami were scolding him for being so reckless. She lazily turned her head, noticing white and blue blobs running towards them. 

"quick! The marines are here!" Tani shouted when she fully returned to reality. The straw hats turned towards the now gathering crowds of marines charging at them from both ends of the street. Zoro smacked Luffy atop the head. 

"you couldn't have lead them away before coming here?!" he shouted, grabbing the handles of his swords. 

"run!" Usopp shouted as he took the lead and bolted. The rest of the crew following close behind. The marines were nothing against the force that is the straw hat pirates, but that doesn't mean the crew wanted to be running for their lives. 

Smoker was catching up, his smoke making it easy for him to just float through the air. At this rate the straw hats weren't going to make it to the boat. A burst of fiery heat exploded from behind them, the already yellowy desert glowed an orange hue. The crew turned around to face the back of Ace. Fire danced atop his bare skin, his body language screaming confidence. He turned his head and shot the crew a smirk.

"Ace?!" Luffy exclaimed. The crew collectively glanced at each other in confusion. So Luffy knew the guy, and didn't seem hostile. That's a good sign. "since when have you had a devil fruit?!" Luffy looked both excited and curious. Ace turned away to face Smoker. 

"I'll tell you later," he replied, his skin lit up like a fireball. Guess that's where the name 'fire fist' came from. "get to your ship, I'll hold him off," Ace said with certainty. Like he already knew the outcome of the fight before it even began. 

"let's go!" Nami called out, everyone returned to running for the ship. Luffy being rather distracted by the fight going on behind them. 

"Luffy, who is that guy?" Zoro asked with concern. Luffy grinned from ear to ear.

"that's Ace, my big brother," he said with great pride. Many jaws dropped, Tani's included. He had a brother? He always came off as the single child with no parental attention to her. "woah his devil fruit is cool!" he exclaimed while running backwards to watch fire and smoke collide. 

...

"what do you mean he got split off!" Nami shouted at the unfortunate Tani who was standing on the deck of the now sailing Merry. 

"I mean just that! He went poof, vanished, gone without a trace!" Tani deadpanned, her hands making motions with her words. Honestly how could he have gotten lost? Did he catch Zoro's direction deficiency? Hopefully that's not contagious...

"ugh!" Nami threw her arms in the air in anger, stomping to the railing and looking back at Nanohana. The massive fire/smoke ball was gone meaning Ace and Smoker were finished with their fight. 

Now that Tani thought about it. Ace was a bit of a surprise, Luffy had never mentioned a brother. Hell he'd never mentioned anything about his family, the only person she'd heard anything about was this guy who gave Luffy his treasured hat. Now that Ace had shown up, maybe she could learn more about her captain. 

"Oi!!!" shouted the very familiar voice of their idiot captain. The straw hatted boy flapped his arms around wildly. Everyone on deck gathered around the railing beside Nami, who was foaming in the mouth with how annoyed she looked. Luffy's radiant smile could be seen from miles away. 

"gum gum!" he threw his arms forward, stretching the length between the dock and the Merry. Landing on the railing right in front of Sanji and Chopper. Tani paled a bit when realising what was happening. 

"Chopper get down," she said, grabbing the little reindeer around the torso and pulled him away from the landing zone. Unfortunately for Sanji...

"rocket!" 

Slam! 

Sanji was sent backwards under the weight of their reckless captain. Who laughed off the whole situation, Nami was not please. Her fist collided with his skull, sending him straight into the ground. Tani felt a squirming in her arms, Chopper was struggling to escape her hold. 

"ah, sorry," she dropped Chopper in a movement of panic, the poor doctor fell to the floor with a thunk. Luffy recovered and returned his attention to the crew. 

"Oi Luffy," Zoro called, Luffy hummed in question. "so that Ace guy's your brother? What'd he want?" he asked. Luffy's expression lit up just as bright as Ace when he was on fire. 

"Ace said he would tell me everything later, so we gotta wait for him!" he looked excited, how long had it been since they last saw each other? Tani never really had this kind of feeling, her only family was her mum and she was always home when Tani needed her. "he's so cool!" Luffy said with admiration. 

"so is Ace strong?" Tani asked curiously. She'd seen him fighting... Sorta? He dissolved into a fireball and did that thing against Smoker which was cool, but she didn't know if that meant he was strong. He could have lost for all she knew... Yet her gut told her that was very unlikely. His confidence was too certain.

"of course he is!" Luffy almost looked offended, "Ace is so strong that even without a devil fruit he was stronger than me!" he praised with dazzling eyes. "though if I tried now, I think I could beat him super easy," he laughed, leaning against the ships railing. 

"what was that?" a new voice chuckled. A shadow flew through the air, landing on the railing behind Luffy. The bright orange cowboy hat was flicked up to reveal Ace's droopy eyes. Luffy beamed, bouncing on his legs with excitement. It was just... So cute! Tani had turned away to not draw attention to herself. "so this is your crew Luffy?" Ace asked, turning to look at the crew. 

"unfortunately yes," Nami grumbled with grumpy eyes glaring at Luffy. Usopp pat her back in a comforting manner, shaking his head in defeat. 

"thanks for putting up with my little brother, I'm sure he's quite the handful," Ace said with a bow. He was so polite, a stark contrast to Luffy's more demanding nature which lacked any real manners. Ace lifted his head to look at everyone on the ship, his eyes landing on Tani. "hey, I saw you at that bar earlier," he pointed at her. 

She pointed at herself, before sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck. Something about Ace was making her really shy for some reason. 

"uh yeah, I was looking for Luffy. He ran off the second we docked, and because I'm the tracker of the crew it's my job to find him," she said. Ace didn't take his eyes off her until Nami began talking to him. Tani sighed with relief when his gaze stopped burning into hers. 

"oh Tani," Sanji called for her attention, she turned to him. He held out clothes and jewellery, the girl grabbed them. "I went out and bought you some new clothes to better suit the weather," he's face seemed to heat up with all the blood rushing to his cheeks. 

"thanks, I'll get changed right away," she smiled, walking away from the crowd to get some privacy. When she entered the girls cabin, she laid out the clothes to find a two piece set... And it looked very... Not Tani. The top was strapless, which wouldn't support her chest at all if she was running around. The bottom was a very long skirt with many layers, she would most certainly trip over her skates if she wore it... But Sanji went out of his way to buy it for her. The jewellery was nice, even if she never really wore it. Sighing, she slipped her top over her head and began changing into the outfit. 

Checking herself out in the full length mirror, her entire face lit up a crimson red. She felt so exposed... Her arms shielded her exposed stomach from the nonexistent on lookers. What would her crew say?! She looked... Not right. She didn't want to leave the room looking like this. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of cannon fire. Without a second thought, Tani ran outside to check on her crew mates. 

She burst through the door to the deck, everyone looked towards the front of the boat. Ace was absent from Tani's view, where did he go? She stepped forward to stand beside Luffy, who was looking at the Baroque work ships with awe... No, he wasn't looking at them... He was looking at the small boat speeding towards them. It's engine roared as it sped towards the six ships firing at the Merry. Ace's orange cowboy hat clearly on the head of the smaller boats occupant.

That thing was like the coolest jet ski boat thing she'd ever seen! His feet were on fire to power it up! How much cooler can you get. Man if only she could set herself on fire without getting third degree burns. 

Once the smaller boat had gained enough momentum, Ace jumped off of it. The boat dove under the ocean while he soared through the air. It was like a super hero move! He flipped around in the air, the baroque workers had no idea what to do. Tani couldn't see Ace when he landed. What she did see was a blast of fire so ginormous that it burned through all six ships like they were melted butter. The heat from the flames warmed the wind that blew over the awestruck straw hat pirates. 

The small boat Ace was piloting zoomed back to the Merry, Ace waved at the crew. Luffy waved back, bouncing around on his feet with excitement. Luffy looked like he was about to explode. Ace casually jumped from his smaller boat onto the deck of the Merry, as if what he just did was the norm. Tani didn't snap out of her awestruck state until she was knocked in the shoulder by Luffy, who Ace had slung his arm over the shoulder of. 

"that was awesome!" Luffy cheered, his arms flying in the air to emphasise his words. Ace gave a chuckle, his free hand messing with Luffy's messy hair. "how did you do that? I wanna do that!" Luffy wouldn't stop bouncing.

"maybe someday Luffy," Ace said with a glowing expression. He was just as happy to see Luffy, but his expressions were more reserved. 

"sorry to interrupt the reunion," Nami cut in, "but I'm just wondering how long you plan on staying," she asked. Ace thought for a moment. 

"not long, there's someone I need to find somewhere in Alabasta," he answered. 

"Ace should stay with us!" Luffy suggested, "we need find that place Vivi wants to go to, maybe Ace can find that someone he's looking for as well," he reasoned. Nami gave a quick nod. 

"only if you want to stay around," Nami said, pointing towards Ace. He gave a chuckled. 

"well if you're willing to have me, I'll stay around for a bit," Ace declared, Luffy cheered happily. Tani smiled softly at her captain's joy. A hand tapped at her shoulder, this time it was Vivi that held out a cloth to her. 

"here, you'll want to wear this when we journey through the desert," she suggested. Handing over the light green cloak with yellow stars lining the rims. Tani sighed with relief, slipping the long cloak over her shoulders. Her body felt less exposed which was a nice feeling. Sanji on the other hand looked dissapointed as all the women slipped on their cloaks. 

"Sanji! Food!" Luffy demanded, the chef sighed but left to go prepare lunch for the crew. Everyone decided to go do their own thing. Tani felt like taking a nap on the deck, so she did. The fading sound of Luffy and Ace chattering about their adventures on the Grandline being the last thing she heard before passing out in the bright Alabasta sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to give you all a friendly reminder that I appreciate you all so much! Honestly I didn't think I would get many views when posting this story, but everyone's support on here and fanfic.net has been a blessing! So thank you all so much!!! Love you guys


	14. What Do You Mean There Are Things That Put Out Fires?! Of Course There Is Are You Daft?!

Tani was rudely awakened from her peaceful nap, by the sound of shouting and water splashing. Now that's to be expected since they're so close to the ocean all the time, but the splashing seemed different. 

"what the hell?!" Nami shouted from the other side of the ship. Tani propped herself on her elbows, looking in the direction of Nami. Nami was staring over the side of the boat, a look of annoyance and confusion present in her fair face. Sanji, Usopp and Luffy ran out of the kitchen and leaned over to see what she was looking at. Judging by the way Luffy's eyes lit up in excitement, Tani could only assume it was something interesting.

Ace lazily followed out the kitchen after Luffy started shouting in excitement to Chopper, requesting the little doctor to translate what the "turtle seals!" were saying.

Tani sluggishly lifted herself off the ground and walked over to the commotion. It was exactly what she expected, a bunch of dugongs with turtle shells... Challenging the ship to a kung-fu fight, well that's what Chopper translated. 

Luffy swiftly beat them all up. Leading to them now claiming him to be their master, it was all quite humorous until they wouldn't leave us alone. 

"we can't take you with us," Nami tried to reason with the hoard of Luffy followers. Chopper parroted that they "couldn't abandon their master" so without consulting anyone, offered them half the crews food supplies. Which worked! But at the cost of... Well half their food supply! 

"bye!" waved Luffy in farewell. Tani and a couple of other crew members waved as well. The kung-fu turtle dugongs swam away with a splash, leaving the straw hats and their tag alongs. 

"well then... Shall we start packing bags for the journey?" Tani said with a clap of her hands. Everyone split off to start packing for the trip. Excluding Vivi, who was writing a letter for her dad? Tani was pretty sure it was for her dad because after a couple minutes she sent Carue away to deliever the message to the king. 

Tani sat in the girls cabin with a thoughtful look on her face, she stared at the many items splayed across her bed. Determining which items were more important than the others. She didn't want to over or under pack. She wouldn't need any extra clothes because it's gonna be hot. She didn't have any water bottles to pack because she missed the dimension store in Nanohana thanks to Luffy being lost. So I'm her bag she only had her camera, Walkman, yo-yo's and a couple snacks that wouldn't dry her mouth out. Since it was sandy she didn't need her roller blades because those bad boys would sink in the stupid sand... Sand sucks! Unless... There were stone paths in Nanohana, maybe the bigger cities have paths too... Ugh! Was it worth it? Maybe she could ask Vivi about the city? 

Slinging her very light bag over her shoulders, Tani donned a cover for her head, it kinda looked like the one Zoro has but it's colour was the same light green as her cloak. She unfortunately had to leave her lucky cap behind because it just wouldn't be practical. 

"Tani! Hurry up we need to go!" Nami shouted from outside. Tani jumped to her feet and ran out the door. 

"hey Vivi! Does the ci-" Tani started. Failing to notice the carelessly forgotten bag left right in front of the door, Tani tripped and slammed face first into someone! Who was it? She didn't know because her face was smothered in human. What she could conclude though, was the person was a guy because... Well of course she can tell the difference. 

"you should really watch where you're going there klutz," that not so familiar deep voice snickered. Oh whoops... Tani pushed herself off Ace but in doing so tripped backwards over the same god damn bag! Ace grabbed one of her flailing arms to prevent her from looking like any more of an idiot than she already felt like she was. Her cheeks were a fiery red, a mix of embarrassment and the scorching heat of the sun. 

"you called? Oh-" Vivi started as she walked back onto the boat. Tani steadied herself and scooted away from Ace. 

"uh, oh yeah. Does the place we're going have stone paths? I dunno if I should pack my skates or not," Tani asked while trying to cool her cheeks down. Vivi clapped her hands together and gave Tani a closed eye smile. 

"they do. In fact all of our major cities and smaller towns do," she said cheerily. Her princess pride very evident in her tone... And she was just talking about the paths. Tani wishes she had this much pride in her homeland, too bad it was pretty lame in comparison to pirates and desert kingdoms. 

"so you reckon I should bring them?" Tani inquired. Vivi went to answer, but a voice cut in over hers. 

"if it's your weapon of choice, bring it," Ace said coolly, sliding his own cloak on. 

"Tani hurry up!" Nami sounded like she was on a rampage. Stomping up the gangplank to tell Tani off (she wouldn't yell at Vivi or Ace because of course not). Tani tensed and bolted back into the cabin to grab her skates. 

Nami burst through the door and clamped a hand over Tani's ear and dragged her out off the ship. The girl complained and wailed loudly in protest. Being tossed into the sand at the base of the Merry. Nami dusted her hands off with a couple claps before planting her hands over her hips.

"now that everyone is finally here," she glared at Tani, who poked her tongue out in a childish manner. "we can finally start making our way to Yuba," Nami declared, turning to Vivi who was now explaining the directions and all that jazz. Tani didn't really pay attention, she was too busy digging through her bag to find a-

"hey Tani whatcha doing?" Luffy asked, his cloaked arm lazed over her shoulders to look in her bag. She grabbed around the small orb and pulled it out of the bag. 

"Usopp do you have any string?" she asked, turning to look at the long nosed man. He scoffed as if that was the dumbest question, but pulled out a huge line of string. 

"sweet, I need to make a bell thingy for Ace so he doesn't get lost," she said aloud, to answer Luffy's question from earlier. Ace looked at them at the mention of his name. Finding the long nosed guy and klutz working on looping a small bell onto a line of string while Luffy hung off the girls shoulders. Ace smirked at the sight, his little brother was such a-

"here you go," Tani said as she offer the string with the bell dangling from it to Ace. "it's so we don't lose you during the journey," she explained. Ace shook it, hearing no sound.

"only Tani can hear it," Luffy explained with a beaming grin, "isn't she the coolest!" he praised, Tani clapped her hands on her cheeks to hide the very obvious blush on her cheeks. 

"am not, I probably just have better hearing than you. That's nothing special," she deflected. Ace felt like laughing at the pair, what a charmer his little brother was. 

"yosh! Let's go!" Luffy commanded, his free arm pumping in the air. Taking the lead with Tani still attached to his side. The crew followed behind the eager captain, Ace could only grin as he followed the same old Luffy he cared for so deeply. 

...

"it's hooooooot" Luffy complained for the 52nd time (yes Tani was counting) in the last three hours. He was lagging behind, using a huge stick he found on the way as a hiking stick. Vivi and Nami had taken the lead. Sanji, Tani and Usopp were behind them, Ace behind them next to Zoro, who was pulling Chopper along on a sled. 

Tani could feel the sweat dripping from her skin. If only she could have bought some water bottles! Why did Luffy need to get lost so quickly?! Hell even a fan would have helped. 

"it's hoooooooooot!" Luffy complained again, his mouth hung low as he breathed heavily. It was kinda scary how wide his mouth could do that, being made of rubber was such a weird power. Now that she thought about it. 

"hey Ace?" she called behind her, turning on her heel and walking backwards to face the older man. He lifted his gaze to look at her with that trademark smirk. "Luffy said you got your powers not that long ago, what exactly are the fruits that give you powers?" she asked. It was such a weird aspect of the world, these fruits that give you magical superhero powers. 

"devil fruits? How do you not know about those?" he looked confused at the out of the blue question. Tani waved her hand to dismiss the question. 

"doesn't matter, I wanna learn more about them," Tani deflected. Ace narrowed his eyes at her, but indulged in the topic. 

"well there's a whole bunch of these fruits called the devil fruits, they are all unique and give the user some kind of power. The only draw back is you lose the ability to swim," he explained.

"why would you eat one?! If you're a pirate then you're always surrounded by water, eating a fruit would just be dumb," she blurted out, Ace chuckled.

"the pay off can be pretty great sometimes. Example being mine," he flicked his fingers, they lit like a match. "my whole body is made of fire, so nothing can hit me," he sounded confident. 

"what about a fire extinguisher? Or a fire blanket? Those are made to literally snuff out fires," she shot back with a smirk. Ace quirked an eyebrow. "well? If you think about it, you're made of fire. So depriving you of air or covering you in whatever it is in the fire extinguisher would take you down wouldn't it?" she thought aloud. 

"what in the blaze's a fire extinguisher?" he looked like he'd just found out about a new secret weapon. 

"they have them around schools and buildings in case of fires. It's this red thingy with a hose that sprays this white foam stuff that puts out fires," Tani replied. Oh right! He wouldn't need to worry about something like that. "it's something from my homeland, so you don't need to wo-"

"where you from?" Ace asked curiously. Tilting his head as he leaned his top half forward. Tani leaned back so they didn't smack heads. A nervous sweat dribbled from her forehead, her eyes looking at the very lovely and interesting sand dunes.

"Tani's from another dimension!" Luffy chirped. Wasn't he dying just a second ago?! "she magically appeared on the ship one day, she was so confused she pushed me off the boat but saved me because I can't swim," he said with a laugh. Tani glared at the idiot captain, balling her fists. 

Trip! 

Tani's foot clipped something protruding from the ground. She fell backwards, landing in the awaiting arms of Sanji. What was wrong with her today? Tani kept tripping over things, she wasn't normally this clumsy was she? 

"thanks Sanji," she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck as he steadied her onto her feet again. He gave her a pleased smile. 

Tani looked around and found that everyone had stopped walking. Now that she wasn't tripping over like a doofus, she found herself staring at the empty remains of a town. Only the top halves of the houses could be seen, dried up trunks and sticks littered the sandy ocean. The wind carried thick layers of sand that could cut the skin if the wind traveled much faster. 

Vivi stood frozen, her shoulders shook up and down in a mix of anger and sadness. Nami stood by her side, rubbing the small of the blue haired princesses back. Usopp and Luffy were exploring the area, Zoro was sitting in the shade with Chopper. While Sanji, Ace and Tani stood around with nothing better to do. 

"should we? Comfort Vivi or something?" Tani asked, half a roll-up hanging out her mouth. Sanji went to light a cigarette, Ace gladly lit the end of it for the cook who gave him an appreciative smile. Sanji let out a smokey breath.

"I think she just needs some time to process all of this," the blonde sighed sadly. For a guy that's obsessed with women, he sure can read the room. Tani frowned, hopefully Vivi feels better soon. 

"so Tani," Ace spoke from beside her. She looked up at him with a hint of nervousness. "tell me more about fire extinguishers," he said with the most serious tone. Tani almost wanted to laugh at how nervous she had felt. 

"what is there to say? They put out fires," she shrugged, Ace narrowed his eyes.

"what about that blanket you mentioned? The one that puts out fires," she asked curiously. "how does that work?"

"you get this fire proof blanket and cover the open fire. Because there's a lack of oxygen it snuffs out the fire. Poof! All gone," she made a motion with her hands. Ace nodded as he absorbed the information. "my turn to ask a question. How come you're more human and solid now? Even though you're made of fire?" 

"I have no idea, that's just how the fruit works I guess," he shrugged. 

"hey guys, found something!" Luffy called from far away. Everyone got up to examine Luffy's find... It was a human skull. Tani had seen skulls before, hell she'd dissected many animals for science class (which included skulls) not to mention all the horror movies she had watched with her mum. Yet seeing the real deal just... Felt like a whole new level that she wasn't quite ready for mentally. 

Vivi was affected the worst though, her screams echoed off the empty hollow buildings of the town. A horrific sound filled with pain and sorrow. She fell to her knees in anguish and covered her face with shaking hands. 

"I'm gonna kick Crocodile's ass!" shouted Luffy angrily. His arms held high in the air, ready to take down the monster who did this. Vivi looked up at the angered captain with a determined glare, as if saying she too was ready to kick this guy's ass. 

"we need to hurry to Yuba, or else every towns going to end up like this one," Nami reminded. The desert princess lifted herself off the sandy ground, a new spark of determination lit up in her eyes. She nodded and took the lead again, storming through the desert with the straw hats following behind. 

...

"hooooot..." Luffy groaned for the 78th time in the last two hours. 

"too hoooot..." Usopp complained for the 44th time in the last two hours. 

Tani could feel her limbs growing tired, a mix of the intense heat and her lack of stamina making the journey difficult on her aching body. 

"we get it! You're hot can you shut up!" Nami shouted at the pair who were trailing behind the group. 

"but it's hooooooot," Luffy whined. Tani turned around to face her captain, it didn't help that he was carrying one of the more heavy bags. Maybe he wouldn't feel so tired if he swapped bags with someone. Looking at her own, which was light because of its size and contents. 

"Luffy, why don't we swap bags?" she said with slight hesitation. She wanted to help Luffy not be so tired, but he has a record for being reckless. Tani's bag was one of her most precious items. Yet she trusted that the bag was in safe hands... Relatively. "since my bag is much lighter, you won't feel so tired," she explained. Luffy perked up at the mention of less tired. 

"but I don't wanna carry any bags... Hey Zoro! Can we put all the bags on the sled?" Luffy asked. Zoro tsked at that, pointing a thumb at Chopper who was overheating on the sled. 

"Chopper needs it more than our stuff does. Quit whining," he barked, giving Chopper a worried glance. Aww he was worried about Chopper, what a dad. 

"how about we play rock paper scissors, winner needs to carry all the bags," Luffy declared. Holding his hand out ready to play. Sanji, Usopp, Zoro and Tani all put their hands in to play. 

"wait did he say winner needs to hold the-" Tani started but was silenced by Sanji who motioned for her to draw paper. 

"rock!"

Sanji wouldn't let her win the game, because he wouldn't want her to hold all the bags. 

"paper!" 

But if everyone was in on this, then that would leave Luffy holding all the bags. 

"scissors!"

Everyone flicked their hands. Sanji, Zoro and Usopp held their hands flat. While Tani and Luffy had two fingers pointed out. 

"scissors beats paper! We win," Luffy laughed with victory. Sanji looked at Tani with shock. 

"well looks like you guys won," Usopp snickered, "have fun carrying all the bags you too," he said with a sing song voice. Dropping his bags on the ground and walking away. 

"hey! We won though," Luffy said with a stomp of his foot. 

"Luffy you said the winner needs to hold all the bags," Zoro shook his head at the idiot captain, dropping the bag he was holding and returning to the sled to pull Chopper along. 

"Tani dearest, let me hold your share of the bags," Sanji pleaded. Tani shook her head, sliding on the bag Zoro dropped at their feet. "a women shouldn't be treated like a packing mule," he whined at the girl. 

"we won fair and square, just take it easy Sanji," Tani assured. Nami and Vivi weren't holding bags in the first place so they didn't drop anything off, while Ace held onto his belongings. Tani held onto Zoro's and her own bags, while Luffy held onto Sanji's, Usopp's and his own bags. 

...

"it's hoooooooot..." cried Luffy for the 117th time in the last four hours. 

"hoooooot," Tani coughed for the 22nd time in the last four hours. 

The overheated pair lagged far behind the main group. Sanji would offer to take Tani's bags every time she complained, but she refused every offer. 

"shade? Shade... Shade!" Luffy cheered, his arms already flying through the air towards the visible rocks in the distance. The rubber man went sailing passed everyone, a sandy dust cloud puffed from where he made impact. 

"so... We making a pit stop?" Tani giggled as she walked passed the stilled crew. They gave her weird looks, but brushed off the statement as being just some phrase from her home world. 

The group was less than 500 meters from the rocky oasis when Luffy came rushing back to them without any bags on. His arms flailed frantically as he called for a doctor to help some sickly birds. Chopper ran ahead with Luffy, leaving the rest of the crew to walk at a quickened pace. 

"Vivi? Something wrong? You've had that look on your face since Luffy mentioned the birds," Nami pointed out with concern. The princess furrowed her brows in thought, before she had a light bulb moment and ran towards the rocks calling for Luffy and Chopper. 

Everyone followed behind her with a quickened pace. Whatever revelation she had meant the pair were in danger. Tani's hands drifted to her pockets, fingers dancing around the strings of her yo-yo's. She glanced around to find Zoro's hand magnetise to the hilts of his blades. 

They arrived at the entrance of the rocks, only to find Luffy and Chopper running around frantically looking for the now missing birds... And bags! 

"I forgot to mention the Warusagi birds... They trick travellers to steal their stuff..." Vivi said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. Luffy shouted into the distance, slingshotting himself across the open desert. The boy was nothing but a blur in the distance as he chased the birds that had half their bags. 

"should someone go after him?" Vivi asked, the remaining crew all shook their heads and waved a hand. 

"how about lunch?" Sanji suggested. Tani pointed in the direction Luffy ran. 

"he had your bags Sanji," she said with defeat. Sanji blinked in shock, what did he think? He wouldn't let her hold his bag so of course Luffy had it. "I have some snacks if anyone wants any?" Tani offered, slipping her bag off her back and pulling out some packets of roll-ups, potato chips and twiggy sticks.

Usopp and Chopper happily took some of the snacks, their faces looking joyous at the instant treats. Sanji gave them a skeptical look but ate them anyway, he didn't seem like the kinda guy that would like prepackaged foods. Zoro and Ace stood by the entrance Luffy flew from, waiting for the guy to come back. Nami and Vivi talked among themselves about the island and it's many cities.

"should we save any for Luffy?" Chopper asked with a couple chips in his mouth. Usopp shook his head.

"the moron lost our food in the first place, so he misses out," Usopp declared. At this Tani grabbed the half eaten packet of twiggy sticks and put them in her lap. 

"he's currently trying to get those bags back in this scorching heat, he deserves something to eat," Tani huffed. "...plus he would totally murder us if we didn't share," she added with a sheepish grin. 

"aww~ Tani darling is so cute when she's considerate of the shitty captain~" Sanji cooed. Tani shuffled away from his flailing arms. 

"so what's the plan if Luffy doesn't come back with the bags?" Usopp asked, the end of a roll-up hanging out the corner of his mouth. Sanji gave a shrug, his thumb pointed towards Chopper. 

"we could always use him as emergency meat," he said with deathly seriousness. Chopper shrieked and hid behind Zoro's leg, the swordsman death glared Sanji. Tani and Usopp giggled among themselves. 

The sound of shouting echoed through the rocky oasis. The travellers turned their defensive gazes over to the cloud of dust being kicked up by none other than Luffy and what looked like a camel? That's the only desert animal Tani could think of. That wasn't the only thing apparently, because an even larger animal was chasing the pair. A giant purple lizard in fact. Vivi gasped in horror before mentioning that she forgot to mention that. Everyone deadpan stared the princess. 

"Oi shitty marimo, let's go," Sanji said with a sigh, already taking a drag from his newly lit cigarette. Zoro huffed at the chef but followed him anyway. The duo stood at the entrance, everyone else having moved back to witness the show. 

Luffy saw the rocks and waved rapidly at the people awaiting him. His radiant grin could be seen a mile away. The camel rushed into the opening, Luffy jumped off it's back and landed inbetween Zoro and Sanji. The three of them proceeded to beat the ever loving daylights out of the lizard. Tani turned away from the carnage to find Vivi once again racking her brain for some missing information. 

Tani didn't have time to ask her, because the earth underneath her shook. Sending her tumbling backwards onto the scaly backside of yet another giant purple lizard. Vivi panicked, crying that those lizards happen to work in pairs. Everyone once again deadpanned at her. Tani didn't have much time to do so, since the lizard bent it's neck all the way back just to stare at her with its hungry yellow eyes. 

The girl pulled out her yo-yo's and proceeded to smack the lizard in the face with said weapons. The lizard didn't appreciate that and snapped it's jaw at her, missing because she rolled out of the way. Tani ended up rolling off the lizard altogether, flopping into the sand bellow. The lizard reared its head back with a gurgle in the throat, eyes burning into the now panicking girl. 

A hand grabbed at her ankle, Tani broke eye contact with the lizard to stare at the elongated arm of Luffy. He whipped his arm back, dragging Tani with it. The pull back was too fast, as Tani flew a couple feet off the ground and slammed into Luffy which knocked them both to the ground. 

Before either of them could recover, the sound of sizzling could be heard. Tani turned back towards the lizard, only to find its purple skin was a sunburnt pink, and smoke was fizzling from its open mouth and ears. Ace stood before it, turning around to face everyone with a smirk. 

"so... Who's hungry?" 

...

"Jesus Christ almighty it's cold!" Tani stammered as she rubbed her arms rapidly. The crew had been walking until the early night, the air shifted from scorching hot to icy cold in the span of an hour! Hell even a fog had started escaping her lips everytime she breathed. 

"should we rest for the night?" Vivi asked from atop Eyelash the camel. The camel Luffy saved would only let women ride him, but couldn't hold more than two people so Tani opted out. 

In response to her question, Luffy and Usopp both flopped onto the cooling sand and stayed there. The princess laughed and jumped from the camel's back. 

Setting up camp was easy, since Tani had been holding Zoro's bags which held the tents and blankets. The only problem was the lack of firewood, after all what's a camping trip without a campfire? Wrong! That's what. 

"why is it so cold?" Tani complained with a shiver, regretting not bringing her denim jacket for the trip. She was so tempted to jump Ace for his warmth, the dude was made of fire for Pete's sake. An arm curled over her shoulder, a warm arm to be exact. The girl looked at Luffy who was now giving her a hug which she returned. Sapping all the warmth she could from the rubber man.

Thus the hug pile began. Usopp wrapped his around Tani's waist, sandwiching her between the two boys. Chopper ran over and hugged her legs, and boy was he warm! Like an inferno of warmth. Tani crouched down, the boys attached to her sides following her moves. Her free arms looped around Chopper's torso and pulled him closer until he was resting in her lap. Zoro sat down behind Tani and leaned against her back, promptly falling asleep. Tani looked up at Sanji who looked like he wanted to join in but was too busy making dinner from the barbeque lizard meat. Nami and Vivi were once again talking among themselves merrily. Ace looked at the pile with a fondness in his eyes. Tani beckoned him over with the tilt of her head. He gave her a smirk but didn't move to join in. 

Sanji called for dinner, everyone got up and ate the stewed lizard meat. Which was surprisingly good, but also not really surprising because Sanji could make a great meal out of a tomato, salt and three eggs. The crew all joked and laughed about whatever crossed their minds. 

"so Tani," Ace spoke up, attention was now on him, "Luffy said you're from another dimension right, so what's it like where you're from," he asked with curiosity. The girl swallowed her mouthful of stew.

"well it's super different from here, because where I come from we have no pirates," she answered. Luffy, Usopp and Chopper gasped as if that was the most insane thing they'd ever heard... Hadn't she told at least Luffy and Usopp about the lack of pirates? Maybe not. "instead we have big cities all over the globe that trade and wage war on each other because we hate each other," she said while thinking back on her history classes. 

"um what else? Well there's the fact that we don't use only boats to travel to other countries, since we have aeroplanes that travel up up up in the sky," she pointed up into the sky and waved her arm to the sides. "we also have cars, that are like horses but powered by coal," she could see the shimmering curiosity in the eyes of all her listeners. It made her feel pretty special to be from such a place. 

"there's also television and video games, oh an movies! I thinks the only thing I really miss from home that isn't my mum," she laughed, remembering the late night movie marathons she would have with her mum. 

"what's a movie?" Luffy asked while clapping his feet together. Everyone was tuning in for the answer, even Zoro paid attention. 

"they're these huge hour long stories with pictures that move. They can range from horror movies with scary monsters to adventure movies with treasures," she gushed, "oh! There's these places called the cinema, where you pay money to see a newly released movie with other people! And you get to eat popcorn and drink soda while you're there," Tani exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with joy at the thought. Luffy and the others all looked just as excited. 

"we should go to the movies!" Luffy cheered, clapping his feet and hands together. Tani gave a laugh, a hint of disappointment hanging from the end of it. She'd never be able to share her love for movies with them because they wouldn't be able to come home with her. "do they have movies about pirates?" Luffy asked with anticipation.

"of course there are! Movies like Treasure Island or Peter Pan have pirates, though they just hunt for hidden gold with treasure maps," she explained, Luffy hollered with awe.

"you're world sounds amazing," Nami smiled, Tani gave a nod. 

"it's pretty cool from a technological view, but it's not as cool as being a pirate," Tani admitted. "there's no freedom back home, all these rules and laws you need to follow, societal standards to live up to. The only thing I need to worry about here is dying, but I have you guys to help me survive," she beamed. Sanji could be heard cooing in the background. 

Ace gave a hum as he looked at the smiling girl. His eyes drifted back down to the small bell dangling from his neck. That nagging feeling in the back of his head knocked again, there really was something about her that felt familiar. Yet he couldn't pinpoint it. 

"puru puru puru," 

"what's that?" Tani asked, turning to look at Ace. The man reached into his bag and pulled out a small snail. She looked at it with amazement, why did he have a snail? Ace tapped the top of the snail, stopping it's ringing. 

"kachya," 

...

"OI FLAMES FOR BRAINS WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!" a voice screamed from the tiny snails mouth, it's expression was not impressed in the slightest. Ace winced but that smug smirk returned in an instant. 

"aww~ missing me already Trip?" he cooed mockingly, a grumpy voice huffed from the small snail. 

"how about I hop, skip, whoop your ass if you don't hurry up and report to pops?" the snail threatened. Ace laughed. Tani looked at Luffy in confusion, he just shrugged and looked back at Ace. 

"last time you tried that you almost fell into the ocean," Ace snickered, the snail groaned. 

"that's because you're stupid ass was taking up all the space!" the snail growled back. Ace laughed.

"alright alright moron, I'll report to pops in a minute. Talk to you later partner," he grinned before hanging up on the sounds of sputtering from the snail. Which fell asleep when the voice went away. 

"... Are you telling me that your version of a phone... Is a snail?!" Tani blurted with humour. They all decided to just nod, since they didn't know what a phone was. 

"Ace, who was that?" Luffy asked curiously. The cowboy hatted man perked up with a grin. 

"that's Trip, she's my right hand in the second division. She was part of my crew before I joined whitebeard's crew," Ace recounted. "she's the only girl on the crew, but she sure acts like a man. I wouldn't have it any other way," he said with a loving tone. 

Luffy looked ecstatic, begging Ace to let him meet her one day. Which Ace promised he would. Tani could feel the tired of the day catching up to her, the girl was about ready to hit the hay. So she stood up from the circle, walked a couple steps... And flopped on the ground. Her snores already filled the air, earning a snicker from the crew. 

"how is it even possible for her to be here?" Vivi asked out of the blue, looking at the snoring girl. "aren't alternate dimensions just a myth?" she pondered. Luffy gazed at the princess, looking back at Tani. 

"does it matter? Tani's here, that's all that matters," he ended the conversation. Walking over to Tani and flopping on top of her, falling asleep instantly. Chopper and Usopp piled on them, Zoro and Sanji leaned against the pile, Nami giggled but joined in. Leaving Vivi and Ace to stare at the pile of straw hat pirates, who were all snoring and snoozing away in each others company.


	15. How Did I Get Stuck With The Narcoleptic Cowboy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Happy Saturday (or Friday for all you non Australians) Just wanted to give you all a heads up that I have caught up with my backlog and will need to start writing the story again. Now this wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't for my insane uni schedule. So if I'm late with an update, don't worry! I haven't abandoned the story it's just me being a busy bee. Thank you for understanding and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

When Tani woke up from a full night of sleep, she didn't expect to find herself underneath a huge pile of nakama. Luffy, Usopp and Chopper were sprawled across her and each other, forming a ball of tangled limbs and snoring faces. Around them leaned Zoro, Nami and Sanji, all of them sleeping soundly. 

Tani groaned at the ache in her chest from all the pressure that Luffy had pressed against her. For someone so small and thin, he sure could be heavy. She went to push herself up, but the arms tightly wound around her waist pushed her back into the sand. She tilted her head down to stare at Luffy's arms, which had looped around her waist at least three times. A snicker was heard from the girls left, she turned her head to find Ace looming nearby with a smirk. 

"yeah, he's not getting off anytime soon," he grinned. Tani went to speak, but the pile shifted. Luffy was pushed by Zoro, shoving the captain closer to Tani's face. The girls face went beet red when his nose smooshed into her cheek. She sent pleading eyes to the older brother, who was no help at all because he was too busy laughing at her situation. 

"morning already?" yawned a very tired Nami, she stretched her arms. Her balled fists accidently landing on the snoozing head of Sanji, waking him up instantly. The cook groaned, but seeing Nami so early in the morning seemed to snap him out of his groggy mood. 

"Nami my love, what a beautiful morning it is to see such a gorgeous lady first-" Sanji cooed, only stopped went Zoro turned again. Knocking into Sanji and sending him face first into the sand. Sanji was not amused. "Oi! Stupid shitty swordsman, you ruined my perfect morning," Sanji growled, Zoro snored in response. 

The cooks leg lifted high into the air, slamming down like a guillotine against Zoro's snoring head. The swordsman's head broke the surface of the sand, he kinda looked like an ostrich when they stick their heads in the ground. Tani burst into laughter, the shaking of her body disturbing the small form of Chopper. 

"uhnnn? Wha-" Chopper yawned. Shrieking when Zoro's sandy head burst from the ground with murderous intent. The rivaling crew mates kicked and sliced at each other, not causing any damage to each other but the conflict was loud. 

Usopp stirred beside Tani, blinking himself awake when Chopper scrambled to run and hide from the scary fight. Tani was still laughing at the image of Zoro being an ostrich. 

"hmm?" Luffy mumbled sleepily. His grip loosened slightly as he woke up more and more. Tani took the opportunity to hook her fingers under his twisted limbs and scoot herself out of the loops. The air filled her lungs fully, it was glorious. 

"is it breakfast yet?... Sanji," Luffy whined, elongating Sanji's name like a child. "I'm hungry," he sulked. Flopping back into the sand with his arms held out, handle barring Tani with him. Her head smacked into the sand bellow. 

"ow! Luffy watch what you're-" Tani began complaining, but a leg slammed into Luffy. Ostriching him into the sand like Zoro was moments ago. Tani burst into laughter, holding her gut at the humorous sight. 

Man what a way to wake up! 

...

"hotttt..." Luffy whined, his mouth agape and hiking stick dragging behind him. 

"you're not the one carrying all the bags," Tani complained back. Sure she's holding them because she felt like it was her responsibility, but she felt like complaining so she was gonna do just that. 

"Tani my dearest, let me hold all those bags for you~" Sanji twirled around to face the sweaty girl. She gave him a small wave of the hand to signify that she didn't want the help. Sanji insisted again but Tani walked faster to catch up with the main bulk of the group. 

"if you're not going to share the load, don't complain," Zoro told Tani with a stern tone. The girl just stuck her tongue out and distanced herself from him. Walking beside Ace who remained quiet for most of the journey. 

"huh?" Nami said from the camel’s back, her face scrunched into thought. Vivi tapped her shoulder and asked what was the problem. The navigator was stuck in her thought bubble, and didn't respond. 

A strong gust of wind whipped a layer of sand into the exposed faces of the travelling pirates. Tani and many others covered their faces to shield from the annoying element. A gasp was heard.

"the winds! They've picked up, we're about to be hit with a massive sand storm!" Nami cried. Tani peeked from behind her arm, only to stare into the face of the massive cloud of darkened sand rushing towards them. 

"what do we do?!" Usopp wailed hysterically. Nami sharpened her gaze, her navigation instincts kicked in. 

"everyone! Hold onto the person closest to you, don't let go until we've exited the storm. If we get separated, you'll have someone with you," she commanded. Tani felt a warm hand grab her upper arm, she knew it was Ace just from the heat this man packed. With her eyes covered she failed to witness the disappointed pout of Luffy, who was now paired with Sanji and Usopp. 

"keep walking straight! See you on the other side everyone!" Nami instructed. Charging forward into the storm with determination, the group followed behind her. 

The sand was brutal! Tani was lucky to have the cloak covering her exposed stomach and arms because that spawn from hell was whipping with the wind so fast that she now had small cuts across her cheeks and feet. Ace's grip on her was firm, he powered through the storm like a champion. Tani's focus was on the choir of bells ringing from her nakama, a comfort to her ears. Knowing that they were all so close to her kept her from panicking.

That is until a particularly powerful gust of wind slammed into Tani with the force of a ten tonne elephant. The girl was sent flying through the air, with her only anchor being pulled along with her. The bells from her nakama faded, until only one remained. That being the man who was still holding onto her for dear life. 

The sandy veil surrounding the pair faded into nothing but dusty particles in the air. The barren wasteland of sand was silent as a mouse, leaving Tani on edge. 

"what the hell?! What the hell!! Everyone?!" Tani shouted, her hands cupping around her mouth to project her voice. "Luffy! Zoro! Sanji!" she called, "Usopp! Nami! Chopper! Vivi!" she was in hysterics at this point. Walking in circles with no direction in mind. 

"Tani, calm down," Ace said in a calm tone. Of course he wasn't worried! He's been a pirate for who knows how long, and has experience with travelling alone. The most Tani has ever done is catch the bus from her house to work which is only a 30 minute walk if she wasn't feeling lazy... Moral of the story! She has no survivalist experience and will promptly perish in this desert.

"don't you tell me to calm down cowboy! I've been split from my crew and have no idea how to survive on my own in this world," Tani cried angrily, more at herself than at Ace. The older man stood calmly, with that smirk on his face.

"you're not alone klutz, you've got this guy," he pointed at himself with his thumb, "we'll find your nakama, Luffy is a magnet for trouble," Ace said lightheartedly. Tani could already feel her nerves calming down. At least she wasn't running around in circles anymore. 

Slapping her cheeks to snap out of the panicked daze. She took a couple deep breaths and refreshed her mind. 

"OK alright yep alrighty, what's the plan cowboy?" she asked. Ace flicked the top of his hat up and turned around. 

"we'll walk this way, we were heading up north and judging by the sun," he pointed at the massive ball of heat and death in the sky, "this way is north," and with that he was off. Tani trailed behind him without a moment's hesitation.

The pair travelled in silence, give or take a couple conversations about little things like what a den den mushi was, or what adventures they've been on since becoming a pirate. 

"wait, so you're telling me that you tried to murder your captain for over a month... And he still let you join his crew?" Tani questioned the sanity of Whitebeard. Ace laughed at the memories.

"I had no choice, he wasn't taking no for an answer. Which I'm grateful for now, the old geezer is like a father to me," Ace said with a solemn smile. Tani thought about how much her own father sucked. 

"at least you have a father figure, mine bailed the moment my mum said she was pregnant with me," Tani stated, Ace gave her a sympathetic look. "but who needs that loser anyway, I've got my mum and she's the best," Tani's eyes lit up at just the thought of her mum. 

"she sounds like a fighter," Ace remarked, Tani nodded.

"she's the toughest cookie I know! I really miss her..." Tani looked up at the clear sky, Ace gave a sigh. 

"I'm sure you'll have a chance to see her again," he said, patting her on the back. She gave him a small smile. 

"I hope so-" the ground underneath the girl wobbled and shifted. The girl was pushed into the air just as she had been when that giant purple lizard showed up. Only this time it was a giant... 

"SCORPION!" Tani shrieked. The menacing stinger loomed over her quivering body that rested on the slick backside of the scorpion. She looked over the side of the creature and almost had a heart attack from how high she was. She covered her head in face in fear, why was everything in this world so tall!? 

Yank! 

The back of her cloak was scrunched into the ball of Ace's fist. His demeanor was serious and battle ready. He jumped down towards the ground, Tani shrieked and hooked her arms around his neck in fear. His arms shifted her into a princess carry position. Landing with a thud on the solid sandy ground. Tani flopped on the ground as he dropped her to deal with the threat. 

"geez, aren't you rude interrupting another man's conversation," Ace said with the crack of a knuckle. His burning gaze staring holes in the scorpion, which roared a battle cry and charged. Ace flicked the rim of his hat and with the rearing of his fist, charged forward in a ball of flames. It was impressive for the stunned girl sitting dumbly in the sand. The whole scorpion burst into flames, which subsided and left the once purple shell of the beast as a raw pink. 

Ace landed on the ground with elegance, turned on his heel to face a stunned Tani. He grabbed her upper arm and hauled her off the ground. Her jelly like legs causing a fumble or two. 

"that... That was awesome!" she stammered. Ace gave her a prideful grin, "that was like a superhero move! You were just bam pow boom!" she threw her arms around with excitement. Probably using up the adrenaline that her body had pumped her with. 

"shall we continue?" he swept a hand towards the direction north. Tani nodded and started her trek towards her nakama. 

...

"I think it likes you," Tani giggled as the small purple lizard with big googly eyes mirrored Aces every step. Ace glared at it with a twitchy eye, the lizard burst into tears. Tani was clutching her stomach in laughter at the display. Ace glared at her but turned his attention back to the lizard. His arm lit up a brilliant orange glow as the fire danced across it. The lizard cried harder, frantically waving it's stubby arms and tail in a panic. 

"how's barbeque lizard sounding?" he asked aloud, not really looking for an answer. Tani snorted, looking at the pathetic display of fear on the lizards face. 

"better than cooked scorpion," she commented. The lizard squealed and ducked it head to the ground. Ace looked at the cowering creature and did what any rational person would do... He mounted it. 

"Ace what the hell are you doing?" she said with slight shock. The fire man flicked the rim of his hat with that trademark smirk. Beckoning her over with the tilt of his head. Tani trotted over, Ace held out a hand to the curious girl. Which she took because let's be real he's the only reason she hasn't been stabbed to death via giant scorpion. 

"we've got ourselves a ride klutz," Ace said smugly while hauling Tani onto the lizard that was much stronger than it looked. "now let's go find my little brother," he declared, pulling on the red scaly whatever that part of a lizard is called. 

The lizard squealed and ran forward quickly, kicking up dust clouds of sand in its wake. The wind whipping into Tani's face and hair felt refreshing in this smoldering heated desert. 

...

"hey klutz?" Ace asked, breaking the hour long silence that had reigned over the pair since acquiring the lizard steed. 

"it's Tani... Flames for brains," she replied with her tongue poking out in mockery. Ace scoffing, giving her a pout that wouldn't look out of place on Luffy. Huh... She hasn't been away from the straw hatted captain for this long since she arrived. 

Now that she really thought about it, she was feeling that nervous pit from before fill her stomach. She missed the meaningless banter between Sanji and Zoro, and Usopp's funny jokes. She missed her crew, even though it's been only a couple hours. 

"...klutz? Are you even listening to me?" Ace's voice burst her thought bubble. The girl shook her head and responded with a dazed look. He rolled his eyes and repeated. "I asked if you needed a break? The sun looks like its about to hit late afternoon,"

"no!" she blurted out without thinking, Ace blinked in surprise. "uh, I just really wanna find Luffy and the others for now," she explained, Ace gave her a knowing smirk. What did he know? Beats her. 

"Luffy will find you, don't even worry," Ace assured. A small smile spread over Tani’s face, because she knew that what Ace had said was very true. Hell Luffy wouldn't let her stay behind on the Baratie when she offered to take his place. 

"what was Luffy like when you guys were growing up? If you don't mind me asking?" Tani asked with peaked interest. Luffy never really talked about his past, except that his hat was very important to him because he needs to return it to the rightful owner when he's surpassed him. Ace practically beams at the request. 

"he's pretty much the same as he was as a kid, except now he can actually hit things with accuracy," Ace said with a small chuckle. Tani snickered at the thought of Luffy getting tangled around trees and buildings. 

"Luffy's always been the kinda guy that draws people in, it's annoying as hell but I'll be damned if it isn't effective," Ace smiled, losing himself to the fond memories of his idiot little brother. 

"Luffy was my first real friend in years..." Tani said out of the blue. Ace gave her a surprised look. "back home, people can't seem to look past my looks and childish personality. I only have my mum and myself," she said with a jolt of sadness. Her lids drooping as she stared out at the empty desert. Ace remained silent.

"Luffy didn't even question wanting me to join his crew, he knew nothing about me. Didn't even question my motives or skill sets, he just smiled and accepted me into his life with open arms," Tani's eyes teared up a little. "I don't think he knows just how much that declaration of friendship means to me," she sighed with a smile. Ace looked into her teary eyes with a softer version of his smirk. Tani coughed and looked away. 

"you heard none of that," she huffed, Ace only laughed at that and turn back to steering the lizard. A comfortable silence once again taking over. 

...

"I think there's a town up ahead," Ace yawned, having dropped out of this conscious plane of existence for the last 40 minutes. Much to the fear of Tani, who now had both her yo-yo's tied around his waist to keep him on the lizard. 

"oh so you wake up now! The lizard almost dropped you like a mile back!" Tani scolded, smacking Ace upside the head. "now stay still I need to untangle my strings," she grumbled, much to the amusement of Ace. 

"quit laughing, honestly how can you pirate by yourself if you fall asleep randomly?" Tani thought aloud. Ace chuckled. 

"just can, sure it's annoying at times but you manage it," he said like it was no big deal. "plus it only happens when I'm relaxed, and let's be honest you aren't a threat," 

Tani puffed out her cheeks and smacked him upside the head again, earning a groan and glare from the fire man. He rolled his eyes and point back at the approaching town up ahead. 

"let's go see if Luffy and the others have shown up yet," Ace suggested. Tani nodded in agreement. Ace directed the lizard to speed up.

When the pair arrived, they wandered around for an hour before realising that the straw hats were nowhere to be seen. Tani let out a heavy sigh of defeat, Ace jumped her shoulder and gave her an assuring smile. 

"wanna grab something to eat?" he asked. She nodded, might as well pass the time. He took the lead, walking towards the nicest building in the whole town, why this one? It didn't look like a pub or anything. In fact it looked more like the house of the mayor or something along those lines. 

Ace walked through the entrance and surprise surprise, it was indeed a house. He kept walking, probably following the smell of food wafting through the air. Pushing open a large set of doors, the pair found themselves facing a large table of cooked foods that made their mouths water at the sight of it. They practically ran to the table and shoved food into their mouths. Well Ace did, Tani had some table manners... Barely. What she was hungry! And seeing fresh fruit was her breaking point. 

"who the hell are you guys?!" a new voice called from the entrance. Tani's eyes widen as she turned her stuffed face to look up at this bandit looking blonde guy. Ace didn't even bother to look away from the mountain of food he had piled in front of him... Luffy's brother indeed. 

"uh..." Tani gurgled, swallowing the chewed food in her cheeks and stammering over an explanation as to why Ace had brought them here. But the guy ignored her, pushing her aside to glare at Ace who was still ignoring him. 

The guy grabbed Ace by the shoulder and turned him to face his angered glare. Ace just stared back lazily, before flicking the guys hand off and turning back to his food. Tani tried to draw the man’s attention back to her so he wouldn't bother Ace who was very clearly stronger than him. 

Thunk! 

The rooms inhabitants all turned to find a snoring Ace with his face planted in a plate of food. The bandits all jumped into action, going in to attack the downed pirate. Unfortunately they underestimated Tani, who whipped out her yo-yo's in annoyance and proceeded to fend them off without her anxiety peaking, meaning they weren't a threat at all. She almost had some trouble against the blonde guy (who she now knew was named Camus). Though to her surprise she managed to take them all out without much trouble. 

Ace let out a yawn, lifting his face out of the plate. Tani burst into laughter at the sight of his food covered face. Honestly considering taking a photo... Oh she had a camera! She could do that. Ace looked at her with confusion as she pulled her bag in front of her and whipped out the device. 

"say cheese!" she snickered, taking the shot before he had time to register what had happened. He blinked twice before registering that she had taken the photo. He jumped out of his seat and chased after her, the girl laughed as she bounced off walls to narrowly avoid the maddened fire man. All while ignoring the bandits that laid knocked out on the concrete flooring of the room. 

"Camus! Camus! Hurry there's been sightings of desert pirates headed towards the town! We need the rebels help!" a man begged from the other side of the door. The blonde groaned from his spot on the ground. Answering back at the man that they would take care of it. Tani and Ace had halted their game of chase to listen to these "rebels" plan of taking them out. 

What Tani didn't expect was for all of them men to panic and beg for Tani and Ace to help them keep up their facade of being rebels. Ace too the reins of the conversation, asking for them to provide supplies like food, water and camping gear as compensation for the work. The fake rebels agreed and handed them a fully prepared sled of said items. 

So here they were now, riding towards the massive ship that had docked for a moment outside the town (yes a sand ship! Tani was excited at the thought) the ship was only there for about 20 minutes before it sped away. Ace and Tani looked at the spot the boat was, only to find a small group walking towards the town. A choir of bell chimes very barely hit Tani's ears, her excitement bubbled as she made a mad dash for her nakama. Ace followed behind slowly. 

"everyone!" Tani called out with a huff. She had no time to react when she found Luffy slingshot himself towards her direction. The rubber man collided with her unsuspecting body, sending them both into the sand with a thwump. "Luffy! I missed you!" she hiccuped, much to her embarrassment. Wrapping her arms around him as he did to her. 

"Tani! Where were you? We missed you so much," Luffy whined. Tani gave a laugh and just hugged him tight. The rest of the crew arrived and began welcoming Tani and Ace back. Ace explained how he got the supplies. To say Vivi was royally pissed off was an understatement, the thought of those bandits lying to exploit the vulnerability of those people. Yeah she wasn't having it. 

"so what are we going to do about it?" Usopp asked. Vivi felt a smirk crawl up her cheeks, beckoning the straw hats to huddle and listen to her plan. A plan that would test the bandit groups courage in the face of a real threat.

...

Tani ran back into the town with the plan on her mind, her hands cupped over her mouth as she shouted loudly for all to hear. 

"SAND PIRATES ARE HERE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" 

She repeated the message over and over. The sounds of screaming and panic filled the town. The townspeople all crowded around the bandits hideout, pulling them out to face the pirates that awaited them outside the gate. Tani made sure to position herself exactly where Vivi had told her to. Right beside the main gate into the town, within Luffy's eye sight. The straw hatted pirate put on his most intimidating face, as did Zoro, Sanji, Usopp and Chopper who were surrounding the now exposed "rebels".

"we've come to take over this town!" Luffy shouted, his voice echoed over the crowd of people watching the fight. Camus was standing in the centre of it all. Wide eyed at the horror that is the straw hatted captain. Tani had a hard time keeping the grin from crawling up her face. 

"oh yeah!" Camus said with a slight shake in his tone. "well you better leave! This town houses 10,000 rebels that will wipe you out at a moment's notice!" he threatened with a very very obvious lie. Honestly who would believe-

"10,000?!" both Luffy and Chopper gasped at the same time, eyes bugging from their heads. Usopp rolled his eyes and pointed at Camus with an accusing finger. 

"idiots! He's lying, it's a trick!" Usopp assured the moron captain and naive reindeer. The pair calmed down, Luffy's shock was replaced with anger. 

"how dare you lie to me!" he roared, winding up his arm to pistol the liar. Tani took that as her cue to speak. 

"what are you waiting for?! Take out the pirates! Save the town!" she shouted, her voice boomed over the silent townspeople. "save us! Save us!" she chanted, it was like a football game at school. When one person starts to chant, so does everyone else.

"save us!"

"go rebels!"

"you've got this!"

The overwhelming support from the townspeople seemed to cause a switch in the "rebels" attitude. Camus who looked like a deer in the headlights before, was now standing taller. Still shaking but with a new found determination bubbling like an inferno.

"you scummy pirates! Leave this town," Camus demanded, balling his fists ready to attack. His followers doing the same, brandishing their weapons. "leave now! This town is under our protection!" Camus shouted with his heart and soul. Tani looked up at Vivi, who was behind a rock with Nami. The princess gave a nod, and signalled to Tani that this was over. 

Tani nodded and signalled to Luffy that it was go time. The captain gave a smirk and nodded. Turning his gaze back to the bandits turned rebels. 

"oh no! They're too strong!" Usopp called from the sidelines. Flailing his arms in horror and making a run for it. Sanji mimicked Usopp's actions and took off. Zoro ran away without making a fool of himself, Chopper tucked under his arm. Luffy gave a smile and turned tail to run back to the girls. 

Ace appeared from the shadows, placing a hand over Tani's shoulder. She gave him a satisfied smile, turning to follow after her captain. She really was grateful to have them back. 

...

"hey... Who was messing with my camera?" Tani asked while walking with Luffy beside her. She'd offered to show Luffy some of the pictures she'd taken on their journey. "I remember cranking this last time I used it" she commented while holding the camera up and cranking it loud and clear with a click, someone from last night must have messed with her stuff... But who? 

"Tani can't this wait until we've found a place to rest for the night?" Nami groaned, though her tone revealed that she was somewhat curious about what the mystery photos would be. Tani sighed, putting the camera back into her bag. Fingers brushed against a plastic packet, oh right! 

"hey Luffy," she said, Luffy turned to acknowledge her. Pulling her hand out of her bag she revealed a handful of twiggy sticks. "I saved some for you, since you had to chase those birds and stuff," she smiled. Handing him the dried meat sticks. 

Luffy snatched them without a word and shoved them into his mouth. He didn't say thank you because the guy has the manners of a pig, but the face splitting smile and twinkling eyes was enough to know that he was thankful. 

"hey Nami," Luffy whined, elongating her name. The redhead looked at him with a death glare that could and should have killed him. "can I have some water?" he whined. Nami rolled her eyes. 

"no, we need to conserve it," she said bluntly, turning back to the front of the group. Luffy whined and slowed down.

Tani giggled but kept walking faster, now standing beside Ace and Sanji. The two were having a rather pleasant conversation about the many adventures they'd been on. Tani didn't want to interrupt, but she was bored. So she decided to fix that, grabbing her Walkman and shoving her head phones on without a word. 

The music began, a boppin tune already adding a spring into the tired girls step. The urge to sing was strong, but with so many people around and the resurfacing memories of her "wake me up before you go-go" scene. She managed to quell the musical beast within her. Not really expecting that anyone would want to listen to her screech "Bennie and the jets" like the banshee that she is. Elton John would be disappointed in her for butchering such a song. 

"Luffy what are you doing?!" Usopp's voice seemed to pierce through the girls headphones. She lifted in of the ears and turned to find Luffy running around like a maniac with a stick, roaring about fighting Crocodile. His eyes were bloodshot and dazed.

"why is Luffy high off his ass right now?" Tani blurted. He was being held down by Zoro, who was the only person on the crew who had any chance of actually apprehending the moron. Usopp bounced on both legs and pointed at the empty cactus piece that had been abandoned in the sand. 

"I thought you could drink cactus juice?" Tani pondered, wasn't that like desert survival 101? Maybe the rules were different here. "what are we gonna do about him now?" 

"I'll take him," Ace offered, walking over to the flailing Luffy. The crew watched with fascination as the older brother someone managed to calm down the cactus fueled boy. Luffy practically fell asleep as he was moved to rest on Ace's back. The straw hats all looked at each other, than Ace, than their sleeping captain. Only one question on their minds...

"HOW THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT!?"

Ace just laughed and continued to walk towards their destination. Tani smiled softly, walking faster to catch up with the fiery brother. 

The crew remained silent for the next couple hours of their travels, it was unusually quiet without Luffy causing trouble. Though it didn't go unappreciated. Tani still found herself pondering over how Ace had managed to pull off such an impossible task. 

"so how'd you do it?" Zoro asked from behind. Ace turned his head to look behind him, Tani lifted one of the ears on her headphones again to listen in.

"the Luffy thing?" Ace asked, motioning his head towards the drooling boy resting on his back. Zoro nodded. 

"easy, I'm his brother, that's how," he snickered. Zoro rolled his eyes but dropped the subject. Ace pulled the slipping form of Luffy back into place, a loving smile graced his features as he looked at the brother he'd left behind years ago. 

Tani smiled to herself, dropping her headphones back into place and continued walking to the beat of her music. She really loved her crew.


	16. So Long Cowboy! Hello Yuba

"and that's how Luffy earned his first bounty," Tani recounted to Ace who was still piggy backing the sleeping captain. He gave a hearty laugh at the wild story.

"I knew the kid was destructive, but the whole building? Guy must've really pissed him off," Ace chuckled. 

"he made our lovely Nami cry, honestly that Arlong guy deserved much worse..." Sanji included, his curly brow furrowing in anger at the memories of Nami's crying and bleeding form that day. 

"you know you mean a lot to someone, if they're willing to take down a whole ass building for you," Tani concluded with a nod, Ace gave a nod in agreement. 

"we all owe the idiot a lot," Nami added to the conversation, "he may cause a lot of trouble, but the lucky moron always seems to come out on top," she sigh with contentment. Turning to look at the sleeping rubber man. 

"oh look there's some rocks we can use for cover tonight," Vivi called out with her finger pointing towards the jagged rock cluster in the distance. The crew picked up the pace, exerting what little strength they had left and powering through the ache in their legs. Usopp practically passed out once they made it to the opening of the rocks, leaving Sanji to drag him the rest of the way. 

"Tani have you been holding all those bags this entire time?" Sanji asked as he dragged Usopp past the drowsy girl. Tani looked at her back and found that yes she was indeed holding all of those bags still. 

"huh, would you look at that. Guess I was," she tiredly snickered, her eye lids felt heavy as the days adventures finally caught up with her. She let out a massive yawn, stretching her limbs out as far as she could before bringing them back in and falling limp with sleep. 

...

"...ni..."

"..tani..." 

"wake up Tani..." 

"Oi, Tani wake up," 

A poking to the sleepy girls cheeks and the calling of her name, broke the girl out of her well deserved rest. Her eyes lazily opened to a face full of Luffy. His wide obsidian eyes staring into her swampy green orbs. Tani groaned, rubbing her eyes and wiping away the drool that pooled out her mouth. 

"I found this really cool thing!" he whisper shouted. Who would have thought Luffy had a volume setting lower than car horn. 

"can't it wait?" Tani drawled with a yawn. Luffy shook his head, his hand already clasping around her wrist. He moved, dragging the girl through the rough sand. "hey! Luffy stop I'm tired," she whined. Luffy just kept walking.

The pair was just outside the rocky shelter, Tani woke up enough to get up off the sandy ground and dust herself off. She was going to find sand on her person for the next seven years... 

"look! Isn't it the coolest?" Luffy said while pointing with both his arms at a small crack in the rocks. Tani rubbed her eyes, shuffling over to take a look at the crack.

What her eyes found was the most bizarre thing! It was a small gem, well a cluster of small gems. What was odd about them was the strange glow of them. A swampy green and aqua colour that mixed within the gem like a pool of water trapped inside the coloured shells of the gems. 

"they look like you," Luffy beamed, showing off all of his pearly whites. Tani was at a loss for words. Her eyes flicking from the small gems, back to Luffy who looked like he'd just found the greatest treasure ever. Tani's hand grazed over the smooth surface of the cluster, a smile lit up her cheeks as she looked back at Luffy with glittery eyes. 

"they're awesome!" she cheered quietly. Luffy scooted over to her side, their cheeks pressed against each other as they both pressed their faces close to the crack in the rock to get a closer look at the treasure they'd found. "should we grab some?" Tani whispered to the captain. 

"they're treasure, and we're pirates. We can take whatever we want," he decreed. So Tani shoved her hand into the rock and pulled at the base of the gem cluster. It was fairly loose so with a snap! A chunk of rock with the cluster all together in one piece was pulled out of the crack. The pairs eyes dazzled at the sight. 

"whadda we do with it?" the girl asked, tilting the rock in her hands to examine every angle of its beauty. Luffy's arm found itself comfortably resting over Tani's shoulders as usual. 

"dunno, keep it I guess," he said cluelessly. Tani squinted her eyes as she thought hard on what to do with them. Maybe she could ask Usopp to make some jewellery out of it, she'd never had any jewelry that was super special because she's always been broke. 

"I've got an idea on what to do with it," she grinned. Luffy nodded and turned away, sitting down in the sand looking at the shimmering night sky. "...Are you taking any?" she questioned. Luffy let out a content sigh, peaceful. 

Tani sat down beside him, looking up at the clear Arabian night... Well she thinks that's what it is, is this what it would look like for Aladdin? That would be cool... Maybe they could find a genie lamp! Now that would be awesome. 

"you know... I'm going to miss seeing the sky like this..." Tani sighed. The sound of Luffy's vest ruffling as he turned to face her was the only indication she had that he was now staring at her. "we have heaps of clouds and smoke and stuff that just blocks all the stars where I live," she turned to look at the wide eyed expression on Luffy's face. 

"you say that like you're not coming back?" he said, almost as if he was offended at the thought of it. 

"well, it's not like I know for sure that I'll ever come back. Hell a couple months ago I thought dimension hoping was only possible in sci-fi movies," Tani retorted. Luffy puffed his cheeks like a kid and crossed his arms. 

"then don't leave at all," he bit back, Tani narrowed her brows and crossed her arms too. She could play this game. 

"what about my mum? I've left her all alone at home, what should I do about her?" Tani questioned, let's see him get around this one-

"bring her here, if you can be here then she can too. See?" he responded with a proud grin. Like he'd just won this conversation.

"and how exactly do you think I can do that?" she responded with a smugness to her tone. "after all... If I could do that, then I wouldn't have a reason to be here on the crew," OK that was a bit harsh... But he was being dumb about it in the first place. Luffy narrowed his gaze, his irises shrank back in annoyance. 

"what's that supposed to mean? Why wouldn't you be on the crew?" he sounded offended. His nose flared as his piercing gaze burned into her own. She felt a lump form in her throat at the intimidating stare. 

"the only reason I joined was because you guys wanted to help me get home. If I have my mum then I'm home, so you and the rest of the crew wouldn't need-"

"shut up!" Luffy cut her off with his fists grabbing at the collar of her cloak. Dragging her closer to his angered eyes. "I asked you to join because you're nakama, not because of your goal," 

Tani's breath caught in the back of her throat. She didn't know how to respond... Guess he did win this conversation. All she could do was turn her eyes away in shame. The grip on her cloak loosened, Luffy stood up tall and proud. His gaze never leaving Tani. He held out a hand for her to take, his serious demeanour was now replaced with a softer look. 

"I can't be the pirate king without everyone on my crew," he smiled with that god damn smile. Tani looked up with a shiver, something had changed here. Something she didn't quite understand yet, but from this point she knew... She was certain of it.

"promise you'll stay. Even if we're separated, promise you'll come back. Captain's orders,"

She grasped his hand tight, pulling herself to her feet to stand before him. This was it, she understood it all so clearly. 

"I swear on my life. Future king of the pirates," she saluted. Earning the familiar "shishishi" laugh of her beloved captain.

...

"woah! Where did you find those?" Usopp and Chopper surrounded Tani as she showed off the cluster. Luffy was pestering Sanji about breakfast, Zoro was still asleep and the girls were keeping to themselves. Ace kept giving Tani a knowing look, knowing what? She had no idea but she didn't let it get to her. Ace was a weird one... In a good way! 

"Luffy found it last night, so I grabbed it and dunno what to do with it. Got any ideas?" She said, handing it to Usopp so he could get a better look. The sniper looked it over, pressing his finger against the greenish parts of the gem for whatever reason. 

"yeah, I can do something with this. Dunno what yet but I'll think of something," Usopp said, giving the girl a thumbs up. Which she returned with two thumbs up and a cheeky grin. 

A sweet smelling meaty scent hit Tani's nose like a truck, it was a really strong type of smell. Like the kind she would smell during a Christmas dinner. This wouldn't have bothered her if it wasn't for the fact that they had no meat (thanks to Luffy) so that smell shouldn't have been possible. 

"meat!" Luffy squealed at the top of his lungs, lunging over Tani and landing in the sand behind her. His hands clasped over a hunk of meat that was just... Laying there?! A piece of meat that had a very obvious string attached to the end of the bone. The meat was yanked away from Luffy, but Luffy being Luffy just kept a hold and was now sliding across the sand holding onto the meat for dear life.

"Luffy!" many of the crews voices called. Tani could see him zooming away in the sand, so she did the first thing that came into mind. She fished out her yo-yo's from her pockets and with accuracy (thanks to her newly developed fishing skills) managed to hook the plastic disks around Luffy's ankle. 

"help me pull him in!" she shouted at the surprised on lookers, but as they moved to help her. Luffy kicked his leg up and sent the unprepared Tani tumbling forwards. Slamming into the sand, which shifted under her weight. She zoomed away from the crew, dragging behind Luffy. "Luffy let go!" Tani cried, coughing up the mouthful of sand she breathed in.

"no!" he replied, coughing a little as well. Tani let out a groan, why couldn't yo-yo's be retractable? Then she could just sit on Luffy rather than be dragging behind him. 

"Jesus Christ Luffy it's just a chunk of meat! On a god damn hook! Are you that dumb?! It's bait! Like when we use apple pieces for fish bait!" Tani cried out, spitting out the sand. Luffy turned back to look at her, as if he'd just noticed that she was being dragged along. She gives him an annoyed look, but he just ignores her and turns back to the meat. 

Tani looks at the surrounding sands. How long was this string?! Who was on the other end? Would they kill them on sight or just let them go? Oh great now she was over thinking, leading to panic and fear. How peachy...

A towering greyish purple rock came into view. Though the top was too high up for her to see anyone on top... A pit formed in her stomach at the thought of going up so high if the fisherman was up there. Her panic took over and she began struggling to remove the strings attaching her to the yo-yo's on Luffy's ankles. 

Snap! 

All of a sudden Tani stopped moving, her body sank into the sand from her momentum. Shaking off the sand that now covered her face... Luffy had somehow snapped the string that attached the meat to the fishing line. The hunk of meat already being shoved into his stretched out cheeks 

"Oi! What are you youngsters doing down there?" an oldish man's voice called out. He certainly sounded no younger than 35, the dryness of his voice showing dehydration from the scorching heat. Tani used her hand to protect her eyes from the flaming ball of heat in the sky as she turned her head up to see a blob atop the rocks. 

"don't mind us!" she called, waving her whole free arm up at the man. The man waved back, though seemed to stumble slightly. Dropping something long on the surface of the rock. Tani paid no mind to it until... 

"Shit! Run!" the man's hoarse voice shrieked in a panic. His form disappearing from Tani's curious eyes. Now that he'd left her vision, she now found herself staring at the dropping form of a small ball speeding towards the sandy ground that she and Luffy were currently standing on. 

Tani had no time to process what the ball was, as she found her torso was now wrapped in Luffy's arm. The other was thrust towards the top of the rock... The very tall rock... The very very tall rock! Luffy turned to her, his eyes glimmering in a secret promise. Tani gave a nervous gulp, watching the hand grip around the cliff edge. Her entire body jerked upwards, Luffy's coiled arm squeezing around her tightly to assure her that she was in good hands... Or arms? 

The speed Luffy had jet them upwards prevented the world from being anything more than a blur of warm yellows and the crystal clear blue of the sky. That didn't help the pressure building in Tani's stomach nor the black spots appearing in her vision as her brain threatened to shut down from the pure terror she felt. God she would never get over heights... 

Then it all came to a halt. Tani found herself planting both feet on the ground, the arm around her unravelled leaving only a hand gripping around her waist. Her arm instinctively found itself wrapping around Luffy's shoulders, hooking over his neck. If she's going down then she sure as hell wouldn't be going alone! It's all his fault she's in this mess after all. 

The pair found themselves staring at the shuddering form of an older man. He had sand stains all over his overalls and red shirt. His shaggy hair was covered with a hat akin to an army man's helmet. He kinda looked like a hill billy doctor eggman which would have caused Tani to laugh if she wasn't thinking about the certain death drop the loomed oh so close to her side. Her hooked arm tightened around Luffy's neck as sweat poured from her nervous pores. 

"sir-"

Kaboom! 

The base of the rock shook violently. Tani's already unstable footing wobbled, slipping backwards and dipping in Luffy's arm like a ball room dancer... If there was a 50ft tall drop under her! Her vision blacked out as her brain shut down at the sight of the golden waves far far beneath her. 

...

"ack!" Tani spat, her heart racing and head spinning as she launched forward. Her head smacking into the squishy back of someone, her entire body bobbed up and down which honestly made her want to hurl.

"you're awake!" Luffy's joyful voice cheered, a tightening around her waist let her now that Luffy was once again holding her. Where were they? "the old guy's taking us back to the crew," he grinned. Tani nodded slowly, her head and stomach needed time to settle down. It's too early for this... 

The trio bounced along the sandy planes. The old guy explained that he was a bounty hunter by the name Scorpion, and that he wanted to hunt down and capture the infamous "fire fist Ace".

"wait you wanna take out Ace? Like the guy that can literally set himself on fire Ace? You know he's like... Worth a lot of money right?" Tani tried to reason. Honestly this guy had balls if he was gonna fight the guy that took out like what? Four or five Baroque works ships like it was another regular afternoon. "are you sure? He'd fry you like a crispy strip," her voice laced with concern. 

The man just gave a hearty laugh. Explaining his reasons for wanting to take out Ace, something about his little boys at home and proving that anyone can achieve anything if they put their minds to it. A solid moral you'd get from a Saturday morning cartoon, but this isn't some TV show now is it. 

"I see the place! Hey guys!" Luffy shouted at the top of his rubber lungs, waving his whole arm at the small coloured blobs they were approaching. Tani looked over Scorpions shoulder and waved (less violently) at her crew mates. 

The bird that the trio were riding came to an abrupt stop, the momentum jerked Tani's face into Scorpions back again. Smacking a little too hard, if she didn't have a headache after this she would be coloured impressed. 

"alright, watch and be amazed," Scorpion stated with a hopeful grin. Luffy jumped down without a problem, Tani slipped and fell face first into the ground. Laughter entered her ears.

"how's it going Klutz?" a smug voice called from above her. She groaned and tilted her head from the sand to find Ace seated atop on of the rocks with a Cheshire grin that just screamed "please punch me in the face I'm too cocky for my own good"... Well that's how Tani interpreted it. The dark girl gave him a roll of her eyes, standing up and dusting herself off she turned back to Scorpion.

"Kick his ass Scorpion!" she cheered. Turning to see Ace giving her a playfully disapproved look, she just poked her tongue out and blew a raspberry at him. Turning away to stand beside Zoro, who looked at the soon to be battle ground with a hint of interest. "I reckon Scorpion will last about 5 minutes," Tani bet. 

"I give him 2 minutes," Zoro huffed with amusement. Tani could hear the "cha-ching" from Nami's direction. The red head slithered her way over with a greedy glimmer reflecting off her eyes, as if they were filled with liquid gold. 

"I heard you guys making bets," she grinned. Her arms snaking around the shoulders of both parties. 

"yeah, Zoro thinks Scorpion won't last any longer than 2 minutes. But yee of little faith shall meet thy maker!" Tani stated triumphantly. Zoro rolled his eyes and huffed. 

"what does that even mean? It's obvious he won't last long, Ace is the second commander of the Whitebeard pirates of course he's gonna take out the old geezer in no time," Zoro retorted. 

"ladies ladies please, let's settle this to a bet then," Nami grinned, showing off her pearly whites. "loser has to treat the rest of the crew to dinner," she declared. Zoro sputtered and narrowed his eyes at the money hungry navigator. 

"why are we buying dinner for-" Zoro protested but a slim finger silenced him. Nami winked at him and tilted her head in the direction of the fight. 

"pleasure doing business with you ladies," Nami shut down Zoro and walked away to stand beside Vivi with that ever present glimmer of gold sparkling in her eyes. Tani turned back to watch the battle. 

Scorpion set up this really big bazooka gun with a hose attaching it to a pack on his back. Ace was a good couple feet away, stretching his legs and arms. Tani decided it would be a good idea to get a picture because this looked really cool, like a big movie fight! So she whipped out the camera, positioned the two of them perfectly within frame.

3...

2...

1...

Snap! 

The camera captured the scene, and with that the fight began. Scorpion took aim and fired a net in the direction of Ace, which the fire man just set on fire as it passed through him. He gave a smirk and flicked the top of his hat as the net was set ablaze behind him, the flames on his skin flickered to life. Dancing towards the palms of his hands in the forms of little fire balls. 

Zoro shoulder bumped Tani and gave her a smirk, she rolled her eyes and bumped back. Come on its been at least a minute since this started... OK maybe it's been 30 seconds, but Scorpion isn't out yet! 

Scorpion switched dials on the side of his bazooka, the click echoed of the rocky terrain. He took aim again, pulling the trigger and releasing a spray of purplish foam from the mouth of the gun. Ace didn't even flinch, he side stepped the stream of purplish foam that splattered and sizzled next to him. Ace quirked an eyebrow at the sinking melting mess of sticky sand dissolving further into the ground. 

"heh, that kinda looks like the stuff from fire extinguishers," Tani snickered aloud. Ace nervously tensed at the mention. "careful Ace! It might extinguish you!" she joked. Ace's face heated up (is that even possible if the guys made of heat?).

Ace didn't pay attention to the fight going on as he frowned at the dark skinned girl mocking him, and barely dodged the second shot of acidic foam directed for his torso. Ace shot some fire balls at scorpions direction, the man fumbled and knocked himself and the bazooka to the ground in a drop roll to avoid the fiery balls. 

Scorpion recovered, setting the heavy weapon on his shoulder. Twisting the dial again to yet another setting, aiming with his finger pressed against the trigger.

"dad stop!" a pair of young boys called, pushing past Sanji and Usopp. When did these kids get here? 

"Chip? Dip? What are you kids doing out here?" scorpion gasped. His body turning to face the two scruffy looking boys running towards him. 

Click bang! 

A familiar round ball shot out the gun, it's aim no longer on Ace. No now it was aiming right for a stray rock that towered above everyone that isn't Ace! 

"Shit! That's a bomb!" Tani shrieked, grabbing Zoro's muscular arms and pulling on him to get away. The man followed with a fumble. Clearly not expecting the adrenaline pumped strength of the shorter women. 

The bomb made impact with the rock the two were previously leaning on, shards and chunks of rock exploded from the base. Raining over the small humans that scattered away from it. 

For the third? Third time that day, Luffy looped his arm around not just Tani, but Zoro as well. Whipping them to his side with the rest of the crew. Zoro scolded the careless captain, who only sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and laughed. Tani found her gaze drawn to the forgotten bounty hunter and his children, huddling together in a tight hug. Unaware of the danger that was flying towards them. The father held his children close, the boys cried into his arms with relief and joy. 

Ace flew backwards, landing in front of the reunited family. His arms lit up, similar to how they had when he created the fireballs. The flames wisped around his fingers, growing brighter by the millisecond. He gave a smirk and charged forward.

"Fire Fist!" he called out, throwing a punch in the air towards the massive rock that threatened to pancake the family. The flames that once adorned his fists, flew out and incinerated the rocks into nothing more than pebbles. Which harmlessly bounced off the father and children. 

Ace flicked his hat and turned to face the crew, winking at them with that cocky smirk. 

"oh Tani~" Nami sang in a singsong voice, her shoulder rubbing against Tani's. "that battle sure wasn't long now was it?~" 

"...Dammit!" 

...

"so he didn't have the information you needed?" Sanji asked curiously to Ace. The flaming pirate shook his head.

"he had information, it just leads in away from you guys," he grinned, leaning into his pack and pulling out the familiar looking snail phone. He pulled out the mic part and held it to his mouth. "Trip you there?" he asked.

"What you want hothead?" a tired and very irritated voice called from the other side. 

"aw~ did I wake you up from your beauty nap?" Ace cooed. A groan followed by a yawn escaped the snails mouth.

"you'll need some beauty sleep when I'm done with you hot stuff," Trip grumbled. Ace chuckled. "anyway flames for brains, what you want? Did you report to the old man?" Trip questioned, sounding a little more awake. 

"I just missed him, but I got a lead and need you to skip me over back to my boat," Ace reported with a serious expression. That fiery flame in his eyes laced with revenge. Trip grumbled on the other end and hung up. 

"Trip? Oi!" he yelled into the mic with mild irritation. "the nerves, I'm her commander and she hung up," he grumbled with his face in a pout. 

Sanji pat him on the back, his expression conveying that he too has been through a similar situation. 

"INCOMING LOSERS!" A new voice called out, a pair of legs wrapped around Ace's back and slammed him into the ground face first. A women sat on his back, straddling him. Her head lifted, a messy tangled bun bounced atop her head as she revealed her resting bitch face to the crew. Her eyes scanned everyone, silently judging everyone. Then her face relaxed and she leaned back with a smirk that rivaled Ace's own. 

"well look at that, Ace brought along a bunch of rookie-" she paused when her eyes landed on the straw hatted captain. Who was picking his nose because he couldn't give any less of a damn about this mystery women that just randomly appeared outta this air... Tani can't really blame him, he's dealt with that before. "holy shit, Ace is that the little twerp you call a brother? He's more dorky than I thought he would be," she giggled. 

"get your fat ass off my back," Ace groaned, sitting up. The girl rolled off and landed on the ground behind him. "and yeah that's my precious little brother, touch a hair on his head and I'll make you regret it," he said with absolute seriousness. 

"aye aye captain," she said with a mocking tone, lazily saluting. 

"Luffy and everyone else, this is Trip. My most trusted pain in the ass. Trip this is Luffy's crew," Ace introduced. Some people waved, others just stared at the women who honestly couldn't give any less of a damn. 

"hey dweebs, anyway Ace we gotta go before you lose that lead or whatever. It was nice to meet you nerds," Trip said. Holding out her hand for Ace to grab. Ace went to grab it, but clicked his fingers and turned to Luffy one last time. 

"I have something for you," he pulled a small slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Luffy. "I'll see you again little brother," Ace said with a soft smile. Luffy gave him a laugh and soft punch to the shoulder. 

"wait before you go!" Tani called out. Ace looked at her curiously. "can I get a photo of you and Luffy before you leave?" she asked sheepishly. Ace smiled and pulled his brother into a head lock. Tani took that as a yes, whipping out her camera and taking a couple photos. She held out a thumbs up to say that she was done. 

"hurry up hot stuff, I'm not getting any younger here," Trip groaned. Ace flicked his hat one last time before grabbing the waiting girls hand. 

"ready? Cool," she stood straight, Ace followed in her steps. 

"hop"

"step"

"jump!" 

And with that the pair disappeared into the air. Leaving Luffy with his small piece of paper. Nami walked to his side and grabbed the paper. Turning to look at his hat and back at him. 

"can I have your hat for a moment?" she asked, fishing out some red string and a sewing needle from the bag on her shoulders. Luffy did as he was told and she sewed the paper into the inside of the ribbon around the treasured straw hat. Luffy plopped the hat back onto his head and gave a big smile. 

"let's go," he commanded, and with that the crew was off again. One less member in their little gang of travellers. 

...

"I see it!" Vivi called out with cheer, pointing towards the small hit like buildings in the distance. Tani felt her heart explode with joy, finally somewhere that could have a dimension store! Water bottles here she comes! 

"let's go! Hurry up they have to have meat!" Luffy cheered, running as fast as his rubber legs could carry him. Tani and the others jogged behind him with hope glimmering in their eyes. "I see it! I see it!" Luffy said with elation. 

That joy that they all felt faded. Luffy stood motionless at the entrance of the town, Vivi standing beside him (having dismounted eyelash). The blue haired princess clenched her fists in horror at the sight. 

Abandoned... The whole town was dug out and empty. Massive pits and trenches were dug out all over the streets, the trees nothing but sticks. Tani pulled out her special bell and shook it... Nothing, not a chime could be heard. A grim look adorned the crews faces. 

"hello?" a man called, his head popping up from one of the ditches with a shovel in hand. Sweat from the days laborious digging glistened in the sunsets light. Vivi gasped as she stared at the man, recognition in her eyes. 

"Toto?" she said barely above a whisper. The man gave her a tired smile that lit up his whole face.

"I knew you'd return princess Vivi," he said with certainty. Vivi felt her eyes well up with thick hot tears. She ran to Toto and hugged him tightly. 

"what happened? Where's Koza? And the rebels?" she hiccuped through tears. Toto pat her back in comfort, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. 

"that idiot son of mine took everyone to Nanohana, too many sand storms hit... All the water was dried up," Toto explained tiredly.

"... Hold the phone!" Tani called out, her hands up in the air, "Nanohana? The place we started?! You've got to be fu-" 

"we made this journey for nothing?!" Vivi sounded broken as she said this. All this walking for nothing... 

Toto sighed and explained the horrible drought the town had suffered. How he still had hope, and would keep digging no matter how much sand covered his work. It was admirable, determination to fight on against the odds. Tani found herself drifting her eyes towards Luffy... Who was picking his nose again. Clearly bored with this whole shebang.

"you can all stay the night, the inn over there has enough beds for the all of you," he smiled, hands motioning towards the large hit structure that did indeed have beds. It looked like a high school camp cabin, like that bunk bed lined walls vibe. Tani shivered at the not so pleasant memories that surfaced. 

"these are so comfy!" Usopp cried with joy, throwing himself into on of the beds. Zoro was already asleep in one of the beds because of course he was. Sanji was trying to share beds with Vivi (there were plenty of beds) and Luffy had vanished. Tani rolled onto a bed and found her hands magnetised towards a pillow. The plump weapon... Weapon! 

The girl stood up, hands behind her back with a sickly sweet grin. She skipped towards Usopp, leaning over his laid back form. 

"what's u-" 

Wham! 

The pillow slammed into his face, silencing him, Tani burst into laughter. Grabbing the pillow and running away, hiding behind the bed that Zoro was sleeping in. Usopp recovered, his face burning red. He grabbed his own pillow and took aim, Tani pulled a face, her fingers wiggling next to her ears as she poked out her tongue. 

Usopp tossed the pillow, unfortunately for him his arm strength wasn't the best and it ended up whacking into Zoro. 

The cabin became a war zone. Zoro had three pillow style, slapping pillows in the face of anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path. Usopp took to the second floor, tossing pillows from up there. Sanji was flip flopping from hitting all the men with pillows and taking all the blows for the women. Vivi was knocked out right away, Nami used Chopper as a shield. The reindeer held a pillow and would swing it wildly as Nami ran around the room hoping to hit someone. It was the most fun Tani had had since she arrived! Hell maybe ever! Though... 

Tani found a way to slip out of the chaos, the cheerful laughter and wild cries of complaint faded as she wandered the empty streets of Yuba. Luffy was missing out on all the fun. 

The sound of a shovel breaking ground could be heard. Tani wandered towards the sound, finding Toto digging into the sand. Even after digging all day the man was still going. He paused and turned to face the watching girl. 

"evening miss, out for a stroll?" he said kindly. Tani couldn't help but smile at him. 

"just looking for the captain, he wandered off and I'm worried he got lost or something," she waved. Toto gave a hearty laugh. 

"the straw hat kid? He should be around here somewhere, digging up a storm that kid," Toto said happily. Tani quirked a brow, typical Luffy. The will power of the man must have inspired him. Tani pulled her bag over her shoulder, grabbing one of her bells. She needed some more now, she only had a couple left. Flipping it to Toto, the man caught it and examined it. Shaking it a couple times, the chime was music to the dark skinned girls ears. 

"it's a token of friendship, take care of it," she said, turning away to look for Luffy. 

She wandered for a couple minutes, finding Luffy asleep in a ditch outside the cabin. Tani slide down the very very deep hole to collect her awkwardly positioned captain (he looked like a baby). With her "masterful" skills, she positioned him onto her back. Similar to how Ace had the day before, Luffy curled around her tightly. Smothering his face into her back, her breath on instinct hitched. Her face a deep scarlet that was thankfully hidden by the darkness. 

"alright Luffy, time for bed," she whispered to herself. Climbing out of the hole and talking back into the cabin. Finding that the crew had created a pillow fort and was now asleep in it together. She grinned like a child on Christmas and slid into the fort, Luffy still clutching onto her back. Falling asleep soundly with her nakama.


	17. Banana Boat Do Do Do Do OH GOD THERE'S A CROCODILE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY FOR BEING LATE! Uni has kept me really busy (as well as an injured wrist that's made it hurt to write sometimes) I'll do my best to keep up to date but I can't make any promises. Thank you for being patient with me

Morning came and went, the strawhats were once again a tangle of limbs as they slept in their fort from the previous night's shenanigans. Sanji was the first to wake up, his face was dangerously close to Zoro's. Earning the unsuspecting swordsman a swift kick to the noggin.

A chain reaction ensues. Zoro jumped up, but his arm was linked around Chopper and sent the poor little guy flying. Usopp was elbowed in the ribs when Zoro pushed Sanji, Usopp slapped a hand onto Luffy's face. Luffy jerked awake but was still clinging to Tani's back and ended up throwing her into Nami when he jumped up. How? Who the hell knows!

After that whole fiasco, Sanji prepared breakfast for the crew. Everyone sat around in a circle on the ground since there wasn't a table in the cabin. The meal was nothing special (for Sanji standards that is) but it filled everyone's stomachs. Everyone was ready to leave, Yuba had nothing they needed so they're wasting time being there.

"thank you so much for your help Toto," Vivi thanked with a low bow. Toto smiled like a father to a child at her. He turned to Luffy, a small barrel with a lanyard and straw in his hands.

"take care of yourselves, and good luck in your travels," Toto wished, handing the barrel to Luffy. The captain threw the lanyard around his neck, the barrel dangling from his neck as he thanked the man with a "shishishi".

The crew all waved goodbye, turning from whence they came... That journey being all for nothing. The town vanished as they walked in the swelting heat, expressions were turned down as they walked through the endless yellows of the desert.

"come on guys its not that bad," Vivi said with a strained smile. "we just need to go back and stop them before they make it to-"

Luffy dropped to the ground in a cross-legged position and leaned against a dried up tree that poked out of the ground. Arms resting behind his head, pushing his treasured hat forward to cover his eyes. The crew halted their steps, staring at Luffy in confusion and disbelief.

"Oi Luffy," Nami narrowed her brows, "nows not the time to be resting, we've need to make it back to-"

"I don't feel like it," Luffy said stubbornly. "I want to have an adventure, and this is super boring so I don't wanna do it," he declared. Tani exchanged looks with Sanji and Usopp. Nobody knew what to do.

Vivi looked visibly distressed. Her mind running a million miles a second as she tried to comprehend what Luffy meant. Her face fell, dismounting eyelashes to stand in front of the now unmotivated captain.

"but... But I need your help to stop the rebels," she pleaded, water prickled at the corners of her eyes. Tani wanted to comfort her, but something in the air seemed to hold her back. Luffy lifted his head lazily.

"well I don't wanna do that. We're pirates, not marines so why should we help if it's boring," Luffy retorted. Vivi took deep breaths to calm herself, her fists clenching in bubbling rage.

"because thousands of innocent lives will be lost if we don't stop them!" she yelled, "I need your help to stop the rebels from attacking, we can't afford to lose any lives!" her cool was totally lost. Luffy didn't even flinch.

"that's just stupid, you can't save everyone," he waved off. That was the final straw. Vivi let out a pain battle cry and threw her fist into Luffy's face, the captain bounced.

Vivi was panting as she watched Luffy lift himself back to his feet. He balled a fist and slammed it right into her face, tossing her to the ground. Nami went to help her, but surprisingly it was Sanji that stopped her. Whispering to her something that Tani didn't quite hear.

Vivi pounced onto Luffy, slapping and punching him in the face with pent up anger.

"why should we go back?! Don't you want this all to end? Taking out the main problem is the only way to fix this!" Luffy shouted at her as she assaulted his face. Hot tears dribbled from her eyes. "we're your nakama! Let us help! We can take down Crocodile!" Luffy roared. Vivi halted in her movements, now a sputtering mess of tears.

"he's right you know," Tani smiled softly, Vivi turned to look at her through watery eyes. "we always manage to pull through. out the main source of the problem is rule number one of problem solving," she finished. Vivi pulled herself off of Luffy and stared at the ground with clenched fists. A new fire lit in her eyes.

"change of plans," she said with anger laced words, "we're headed to Rainbase. We need to kick Crocodiles ass!" she declared with her fist punching up in the air. Everyone followed in suit. The crew now had a new objective.

Kick Crocodile's ass!

...

It didn't take long at all to make it to Rainbase. It was a short distance from Yuba, so the crew was already standing before the massive crocodile themed town that looked prosperous in these trying times.

"before we do anything, it would be wise to fully stock up on supplies and the such. Since we'll need to make a quick escape after taking Crocodile out," Nami informed. The crew nodded in unison, so Nami continued. "we'll split into groups, one to get water, one for food and another for essentials,"

Team one was Luffy, Tani and Usopp. Who were tasked with water duty. Luffy looked his arms through both of his team mates and ran towards the first pub he could find. Zipping over to the front bar and demanding three barrels of water.

"Luffy you know I could just find a dimension store and get water bottles right?" Tani commented off-handedly to the captain. He tilted his head with a blank look. "you know? The place I get all the snacks I bring? Have I never mentioned it once?" Tani held her chin in thought.

"now that you mention it," Usopp chimed in. "you do bring a lot of things back to the Merry that I've never seen before," he held his chin in thought too. Now Luffy needed to do it and they would all be in sync.

"ohhhh," Luffy clicked his fingers. "that's where you got that bubbly looking alcohol and the meat sticks from isn't it?!" he said. Tani spat, half expecting some magical water to be sprayed across her companions.

"alcohol? You thought that was alcohol?" Tani said with shock. Luffy nodded his head with confusion. "no that was fanta, it's a fizzy drink. Think fruit juice but with lots of little bubbles," she explained. Shaking her head with a gentle smile, "I'm still too young to be drinking alcohol anyways," Tani stated.

The bartender dropped down three massive barrels for them to take. Luffy and Usopp immediately took to gulping down massive amounts of the stuff, clearly too thirsty at the moment. Tani shook her head with a small chuckle stuck in her throat. It was relaxing to not be pursued, so she took a long inhale and that's when her nose caught it.

The familiar smell of smoke.

Now her relaxed demeanor had shifted to that of alertness. Her eyes scanning the surrounding area for the familiar greyish white of the marines hair. Smoker was a big guy, and the trail of smoke that whisped from his two cigars were always easy to find... So how she'd somehow missed that he was sitting right beside her! She wouldn't know. Though he didn't seem to realize they were here either.

"wait so you're telling me that you could have gotten us supplies from this dimension store place, since Lougetown?" Usopp spoke a little too loudly. Smokers shoulders tensed, his   
Hardened gaze turned to stare at the young pirates... Oh shit here we go again.

"Captain Smoker?" a young looking women with big black framed glasses and a navy blue Bob cut poked her head from behind the man's massive shoulders. Her eyes widened like saucers at the sight of us. "it's straw hat and that girl with the pink and blue cap!" she declared. Pointing a finger at us before throwing her hands over to the sword attached to her hip.

Luffy and Usopp in unison spat out water into the marine pairs faces. Giving them the opportunity to book it. Tani already had her skates on, but she was not! Repeat NOT! Going through what she did the last time Smoker was hot on their trail. Plus this time Usopp was around so she couldn't carry them both, Luffy would just jump her and do his Luffy thing.

That is why it was such a surprise that Usopp was the one that was jumping onto her back as she skated. His legs landing on her shoulders, her hands locked around his ankles to hold him steady.

"Luffy has the water, we need to keep them off his back," Usopp said with confidence. Pride bubbled in Tani's stomach at the bravery he was showing. God she felt like her mum right now. She nodded at him and glided across the sand covered paths of Rainbase.

The blue haired women was on their heels, Usopp fired shot after shot at her as she chased them. Her sword sliced through many of the shots... Most of them.

"tabasco star!" he cried, taking the shot and smacking her right in the glasses. The small capsule burst and red hot sauce splattered all over the women's face. She shrieked in pain as the sauce irritated her skin. Her hands flying up to rub it away. Tani wasted no time in making an break for the rendezvous point.

"you think Luffy's alright?" Tani asked breathlessly. Maybe she needed to do some weight training with Zoro, or whatever kinda training you do to get stronger with your back. "Smoker is no push over I'll tell you that," oh who was she kidding, Luffy was like a cockroach. You can't kill him! And he always manages to pull through.

"I see them!" Usopp called out. The rest of the crew was fighting off a marine squad. Luffy came flying from the roof tops with the water barrels in hand.

"split up!" he shouted. Dropping the water barrels on the ground and ran away with Smoker right behind him. Everyone did just that. Usopp jumped off Tani's back and ran with Nami, Tani felt her strength leave her. Stumbling over and finding herself being hoisted over someone's shoulders. Sanji and Vivi ran off together and Tani couldn't see Chopper anywhere. Which left-

"watch my back," Zoro's gruff voice commanded. Tani nodded her head as the bulky swordsman made a run for it. Many of the marines, as well as some shifty looking buggers that probably worked for big bad Crocodile were pursuing them. Zoro held them off without breaking a sweat, Tani would know since she's literally on him as he fights. She'd gotten a few hits of her own too, her yo-yo's danced through the air as she whipped them back and forth between the marines and Crocodile underlings.

"Zoro I think we've walked past this building like twice now," Tani pointed out. The green haired man groaned. "just walk towards the big ass golden temple over there," Tani pointed. Zoro just grunted in annoyance but did as she asked. A wrong turn here, a left when they were meant to go right. Honestly Tani couldn't comprehend how Zoro could be so directionally challenged! So the moment her strength returned she jumped off his shoulders, grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the temple looking place. Zoro grumbled and complained the whole time but Tani ignored him. Her ears peeled for the sound of bells.

"Zoro! Tani!" Nami called out with a wave. The pair ran towards them with a hoard of marines and Baroque works goons chasing behind with weapons in hand. "help!" the pair wailed, running past them.

"watch my back and I'll watch yours?" Tani smirked, a small boost of confidence bloomed on her face as she turned to the much more talented fighter by her side. Zoro gave the tiniest of tiny smiles, literally the corner of his lips tilted up slightly. His eyes however showed just how excited he was at the prospect of kicking ass.

Tani rushed forward, Zoro hot on her trail. She jumped forward, her blades wheels still spinning rapidly as they slammed into the unfortunate marine that happened to be within range. The man's body fell backwards, knocking over a couple of his comrades in the process. The bodies of their enemies falling was still chilling for the inexperienced girl, the look of blood lust in Zoro's eyes was just as frightening if not more so. Tani was honestly lucky he was her ally.

"everyone!" Luffy's jovial voice rang from above. Tani turned to look up at him, distracted and unsuspecting of the man who was about to introduce her to his pal, sword.

Slam!

A body dropped, but it wasn't Tani's. The girl turned around with great alarm, her eyes finding Zoro was a serious look in his eyes. Relief and annoyance swimming in his golden gaze.

"pay attention when in battle you moron," he scolded. Tani turned her gaze down. "I'm not always gonna be around to save your ass," he stated, sheathing his single blade.

Luffy had his arms hooked around Tani and Zoro's shoulders as he landed on the ground. His momentum and speed pulled the pair along with him as he ran over the bridge connecting the town to the temple. Nami and Usopp followed behind. The enraged calls of Smoker rang through out the town.

The crew (excluding Sanji, Chopper and Vivi because they seemed to be MIA) burst through the massive golden doors of the temple. The interior looked more like a casino than any sacred location Tani had ever been to. The masses of people seemed to look over at the small panting group, Luffy's chest rose as his mouth widened to shout.

"Crocodile! Show yourself so I can kick your ass!"

The crowds went silent. Only to ignore him and go back to their slots or Black Jack games. Luffy glared at the room, looking around for any sign of the man they seeked. Wafts of smoke hit Tani's nose.

"Smoker here," she whisper shouted. Nami tapped her shoulder and pointed towards the stairway that had the words VIP plastered above the door said stairs lead to. Everyone silently made their way towards the VIP room.

"sorry sir but I'm afraid marines aren't permitted in this area. Please leave," a women's voice. Tani turned her head to find a lady telling Smoker to leave the casino. His eyes landed on Tani's own, breaking away as his body morphed into a cloud of smoke and sped towards them.

"Run!" Tani cried. Taking the lead and bolting forward. The door was within her grasp.

"stop!" Smoker yelled angrily. His top half reforming atop the smokey cloud, his hands grabbing towards the head cover on Tani's head. Her hands slipped the head gear off and tossed it at Smokers face. Her wild mess of brown hair bobbed behind her.

Stone floors changed to velvet carpets. A long narrow hallway lead to a small fork in the road. Tani had no time to read said sign before Luffy made a hard right, saying something about it being "for pirates" which just screamed trap.

...  
"shishi, look Usopp! It's my Sanji impression," Luffy's loud voice cut through Tani's unconsciousness. Usopp laughed loudly. "oh yeah well check out my-"

"quit it!"

Bonk! Smack!

Two bodies hit the floor. Rustling Tani from her sleep completely.

"ugh... Remind me never to follow Luffy ever..." Tani groaned, rubbing her sore back. The way that Luffy decided to take them, lead to a trap! Who would have guessed that a sign saying "pirates go this way" would be a trap? Is Luffy just stupid... Yes, yes he is.

Anyway they now sat in a cramped cage with a lovely view of the bottom of the ocean, well an aquarium if this world even had one of those. Tani let out a sigh and leaned her head back, her eyes closed as she rested her head on what she assumed to be one of her friends laps.

"get off me kid," the familiar gruff voice of Smoker grumbled. Tani's eyes shot open in an instant, the girl scrambled to her feet and pounced behind Zoro who was taking a nap.

"what the hell are you doing here?!" Tani panicked. Her eyes locked onto the resting form of Smoker. He rolled his eyes at her and puffed out smoke.

"got caught too," he shrugged. Another puff of smoke left his mouth.

"then just smoke your way out, you can do that can't you?" she narrowed an eye in confusion. Why would he be sitting here? Jail bars don't mean squat if you can wisp your way through them.

"are you dumb or something kid? The bars made of sea stone," he said with irritation. Tani rolled her eyes, well sorry for not knowing the ins and outs of a world that isn't her own.

"sea stone nulls devil fruits," Nami said informatively. Tani poked her tongue out at Smoker like a child. The man couldn't have rolled his eyes any harder. "Luffy stop touching the bars!" Nami scolded. Tani turned to find Luffy was leaning on the bars looking completely drained of energy. 

Smoker groaned in annoyance. Muttering under his breath about "troublesome brats" which Tani rolled her eyes at. The guy was just like one of her old teachers, if you don't like kids, don't take the job... Wait he's a cop so he deals with adults too... Never mind he's allowed to complain. 

"ahahahah," came a laugh that Tani instantly thought of as The Count from Sesame Street. She looked at the moving shadowy figure. When light hit his figure he looked like a pimped out mob boss, very fitting for him since is technically is one.

"you have a hook hand! Yes! Another classic pirate trope I can cross off the list," Tani said aloud. Not that she wanted to, it just sorta slipped out. She covered her mouth was a slap and her cheeks reddened considerably. All eyes turned to her, until the pimp man cleared his throat and continued.

"so this is the little pirate crew that's helping Miss Wednesday with her plans," he monologued. A classic villain! Tani could feel the excitement of a movie adventure bubbling in her core. "I'm Mr Zero of baroque works, and you lot are-"

"FIGHT ME CROCODILE! IM GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!" Luffy boomed, his hands grabbing the bars again. His body flopped to the ground like a heap of jelly. Crocodile just laughed at him and continued monologuing. Tani got bored because it was all "take over the country!" and "ruin the kings reputation!" classic Bond villain stuff.

"CROCODILE!"

"ah Miss Wednesday. What a pleasant surprise, come sit down," Croc welcomed. Vivi looked royally pissed off. She was ready to knock some heads... No literally she ran over to Crocodile and sliced the bastards head clean off his shoulders. I stared in awe and horror at the clean stump of the man's neck. No blood spouted out the stump, no flopping of the headless body. This was starting to look the headless horseman! It was freaky.

"that's no way to greet your boss Miss Wednesday," Crocodile's voice bellowed. Golden sandy trailed up his body, reforming his head on the stump. His smug grin on display when completely reformed.

"Smoker can you do that?" Tani asked the grumpy marine. Her brain just wouldn't filter her words. Maybe she hit her head harder than she expected. Smoker huffed at her, not answering her question.

"ah, captain Smoker. How unfortunate to have captured you. Now that you know of my plans I'm afraid you'll need to die too," Croc laughed, obviously not at all bothered by the act. "and you straw hat, you sure have caused a lot of trouble for my workers. Now you'll just have to die here too," he laughed again. God it was such a dumb laugh.

Puru puru puru

The den den mushi on the table went off. Crocodile side eyed it, obviously not expecting any callers at this time. He picked it up.

Kacha

"who is it?" Crocodile asked with irritation. The snails face seemed to droop. Like the person on the other end was bored or tired.

"is this Mr Zero?" the voice was familiar. Laid back and a little bit smug... Sanji?! He wasn't here after all. It could be him! Thankfully Tani's brain had stopped her from spouting that give away.

"who is this?!" Crocodile yelled into the mic. A small chuckle was heard from the other end.

"well someone's feeling shitty today. Anyway, I'm not stupid enough to give you my real name. So call me Mr Prince," Sanji's suave voice stated. Zoro let out a snort of humour.

"course you'd pick a name like that 'Mr Prince'," Zoro mocked. Nami smacked him upside the head, telling him to "shut it".

"oh so you do have my nakama with you, well at least the Marimo bastard," the snail smiled sweetly. Zoro clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"hoe about you join them. Mr Prince," Crocodile suggested. It was obvious be thought he had the upper hand. Sanji chuckled.

"as much as I'd love to do that, I have some things I gotta do before making my grand entrance," he stated. Croc grinder his teeth in an attempt to remain calm.

"Mr Prince!" Tani called out. The snail phones eyes shifted into little hearts.

"Tani dearest! You're there too?" Sanji cried. Tani hummed in affirmation.

"we're surrounded up water, it's an underground secret base! Everyone's here except Mr Reindeer!" Tani informed. The heart eyes were replaced with a serious look.

"roger that my darling Tani, I'm on my way now. Don't miss me too much~" he cooed before hanging up. Crocodile slammed the mic (poor snail phone) but returned his composure and looked at the captured straw hats plus Smoker. He let out a laugh and held up a key.

"you know what this is? It's the only key that can unlock your cage," oh boy here we go. Bond villain time! "and you know what I'm going to do with this key?" he pushed a button on the desk where the den den mushi sat. The floor opened up and a huge pit opened in the centre of the room.

He walked over to the pit and gave them all a huge shit eating grin. He dangled the key over the hole, his fingers slowly released. The little golden key plummeted down, hitting the ground with a little clink.

Tani's body moved on its own, reaching into her pocket and pulled out a single bell. She tossed it without her mind registering her actions. The little bell clinked, landing beside the key. A snarl echoed off the walls of the deep pit. A massive yellow beast entered the pit, it was a crocodile with a banana shaped growth on its head. It licked the key and bell into its mouth and swallowed. Tani could still hear the bell ringing in its stomach.

Then more bananadiles entered the pit, each of them climbing over each other and snapping their hungry maws at the crew. Crocodile laughed that stupid laugh.

"Mr Zero," a women's voice called to the mob boss. All eyes turned to the all too familiar cowboy hatted lady from Whiskey Peaks. This time she was wearing a thick white coat. "it's almost time, we must get going," she said with little to no emotions in her voice. Crocodile nodded in her direction.

"it was a pleasure to meet you all, but I must take my leave," Croc said with a smug grin. Turning away to walk through a tunnel opposite the stairs that Vivi had taken to enter the room. Wait where was Vivi? Tani looked to find that the blue haired women was just sitting there, staring in a frozen state of mind.

"Vivi! Snap out of it!" Nami cried to the girl. The walls surrounding them seemed to shake. The sound of water flow caused great panic to arise. "he's flooding the room!" Nami realised. Grabbing the sea stone bars and shaking on them as hard as she could.

The blue haired women snapped out of her daze and made a last ditch effort to get Crocodile, but he was already out of reach before she had the chance to do anything.

"Vivi run! The rooms gonna flood. Those bananadiles will tear you to shreds!" Usopp informed with fear in his voice. The room rumbled and chunks of the roof and glass walls fell to the wet ground. Vivi stumbled as she ran to avoid the falling debris, the bellowing of the bananadiles calls and the snapping of jaws mixed with the crashing of the surrounding area. The pressure was on for the princess. her determined face and stride carried her to the partially destroyed stairs. The first of the bananadiles had climbed out of the pit and was now pursuing Vivi. 

"oi! You with the ugly banana face!" Tani called out to the bananadile. It slowly turned it's whole body around to face her and the cage of trapped people. Tani should have thought that through better... 

"leave Vivi alone!" Nami joined in, nodding at Tani. Usopp stood beside Tani, legs shaking but he too called for the bananadiles attention. The three of them successfully pulled the dumb yellow beast focus to them. 

"now that it's after us, the croc will try to break the cage. If it's anything like a crocodile from back home, it can't chew so it'll need to tear the cage open," Tani reasoned aloud. Smoker hummed in thought. 

"Tani, you threw a bell at one of them. Does this one have the bell?" Zoro asked, standing up from his seated position and standing beside the small trio. Tani shook her head. Luffy stood up beside Zoro, cracking his knuckles with a grin. 

"Ack!" 

Vivi was suspended over the broken stairs, her legs dangled as she held on for dear life. The sound of her distress caused the bananadile to change its focus onto her. Shit! Everyone's attempts to draw the beast back to them was in vain, it snapped its jaws underneath her flailing body. The fear in her eyes screamed for salvation.

THWACK!

The beast was sent hurtling into the air, a figure stood beneath it with one leg sticking up in the air. Smoke and slick blonde hair danced with the momentum of the swift kick. 

"Sanji!" Tani cried with excitement. More bananadiles entered the room, all of them aiming for the newest arrival. 

"Tani dearest! Nami my love! The rest of you shitty bastards," Sanji greeted, taking out his snuffed cigarette and dropping it on the ground. "I'll get you get lovely ladies out of here in a jiffy," he cooed. Running and slamming his leg into one of the approaching bananadiles. 

"Tani, which one is it with the key?" Zoro asked. Tani fell silent, closing her eyes and cupping her eyes towards the many beasts roaming the floor. A faint chime could be heard, but she couldn't quite pin point the spot.

"it's one of the crocs to the left side of the room! Sanji aim for the group of them too the left!" Tani instructed. Sanji did as he was told and cartwheeled his way over, kicking ever dile in the stomach. Luffy mimicked Tani with his ears, a light bulb went off in his head.

"it's the one closest to the door," Luffy informed, so Sanji took aim and did just that. Hitting the creature in the gut. It hacked and coughed, throwing up not only the key and bell but a large whiteish grey ball. The key landed in the water, which at this point was above the shins in depth. 

"break the ball!" Luffy instructed. Sanji complied with one swift smack of the leg, the ball split in two and out popped-

"ITS THE STUPID WAX GUY!" Nami shouted, gripping the bars with flaming eyes. Usopp clicked his fingers. The crew looked his way (except Sanji who was beating up the bananadiles).

"could we get him to make a replica key?" Usopp questioned. Luffy looked at the stunned wax guy.

"oi wax guy, get us out of this cage or I'll kick your ass," Luffy said nonchalantly. Well he got straight to the point now didn't he? The guy snorted.

"straw hat?! As if I'd help you and your little group of morons out," wax man replied with a smug grin. Sanji turned to look at him, he jumped into the air and slammed both of his feet into the mans back. Wax man fell into the water, he sputtered and panicked as he was lifted out of the salty water by the scruff of his neck. Sanji glared at him and the rest was history! The guy made a fake key and opened the cage door.

"we gotta get out of here!" Usopp whined, stating the obvious. The stairs were completely destroyed so the crew couldn't escape through there. The water was filling the room faster and faster. Luffy found himself inching closer and closer to Tani as the water raised. Tani grabbed his hand and gave him a comforting smile. Smoker seemed to be nervously glancing at the water.

"we've gotta swim our way out," Zoro declared. Luffy nodded in agreement, instructing everyone to make their way up. Nami, Usopp, Sanji and Vivi all dived. Luffy piggy backed onto Tani's back. Before the pair made the dive, Luffy gave Zoro a look. The silent conversation ended with Zoro groaning and grabbing a drowsy Smoker (who was being heavily affected by the salty water). 

"hold your breath Luffy," Tani instructed. The both of them took a huge gulp of air and dived, blue filled their vision. Luffy's strong grip slackened, but he held on as hard as he could. 

Just a few more seconds, the sun was coming into view. 

3

2

1

The pair gasped and sputtered for air to fill their deprived lungs. Tani gave a nervous laugh as the adrenaline faded from her system. She free-styled towards the bank, helping Luffy up first before dragging herself out of the liquid. More coughing could be heard as Zoro and Smoker surfaced. Zoro tossed Smoker onto the bank with the elegance of a brick. Hoisting himself up and standing behind Luffy and Tani. Smoker looked up at the trio, conflict and confusion in his eyes.

"why did you save me?" came Smoker's voice, full of confusion. Luffy and Tani looked at one another. Luffy let out his iconic laugh, his whole body shook with the laughter. " what's so funny? Why would you save me?! I'm a marine!" Smoker shouted.

"because you're a good guy," Luffy stated simply, giving Smoker his biggest grin. The man just looked more confused. "you're my friend, of course I'd save you," Luffy added. Smokers cheeks tinted pink, his eyes shifted to a glare. 

"get the hell outta here, before I capture you," he threatened. Was he letting them go? After trying so hard to catch them. Luffy laughed. 

"I told you so!" Luffy said before taking off with a sprint. Zoro followed behind him, but Tani lingered for a moment longer. Pulling a bell out of her pocket and tossing it at the marine. He lifted it up and looked back at the girl with more confusion. 

"it's a symbol of our friendship, we may be on opposing sides... But that doesn't mean we can't be friends," she smiled softly. Smoker pocketed the bell, and snarled a "get the hell out of here," earning him a cheeky giggle from Tani, who ran off after Luffy and the others.

...

"Chopper! Where did you find this huge crab!?" Tani shouted in awe. Chopper giggled, explaining Eyelash had many friends around that were willing to help out the crew. The crab was gonna help them get to the castle to warn Vivi's father of the rebel army, and to stand down when the oncoming attack commences.

"let's go!" Vivi cheered with hope in her eyes. Everyone boarded the crab, and to say that it was a fast runner would be an understatement! Tani felt whiplash as the crab started running, she would have fallen off if Zoro hadn't snatched her up. Vivi cleared her throat, "thank you everyone, we can end thi-"

She was cut off when a hook looped around her waist and pulled her backwards with a shriek. Luffy moved before anyone had the chance to process what had happened. His rubber arm yanked the girl out of the hook, but in return he flipped himself off the crab and into the hook. 

"LUFFY!" Tani cried as he gave everyone a grin, being pulled towards the big boss of this island with no fear in his eyes. The sound of his bell faded as he moved away. 

"I'll kick his ass!" Luffy declared. Only his shadow could be seen in the sunset as the crab sped into the darkness of the oncoming night. Tani stared at Luffy's fading form with hope in her heart.

Hes Luffy... He cant be defeated... Can he?


	18. It's Just Like The Movies! With The Cliches And The Bombs!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why yes, yes I am 3 weeks late :') 
> 
> Yes we should boycott uni for keeping me so busy with assignments and all that junk 
> 
> Hope this was worth the wait (trust me it wasn't)

To say the straw hats were worried about their captain would be an understatement. Everyone did their best to hide it but if one got to know them, they would notice the little quirks that each of them did when under pressure or highly concerned. 

Zoro was using Usopp and Tani as weights for training, with one of them in each hand. Usopp was fidgeting with a pen as he drew little sketches in a notepad he had, while Tani was blasting music on her Walkman because nothing says calm like 90s rock music. Nami was twirling her hair and messing with her robe. Sanji was flicking his lighter on and off again, one of his legs did that little bounce thing that happened when you sit on a chair for too long. Chopper was walking in circles with his hooves clasped around the rim of his top hat. Vivi was by far the worst of the bunch though, she looked like she was going to cry, her hands clawing through her smooth blue hair as she sat with her legs pulled to her chest, eyes wide with worry as every limb of hers shook. 

"he'll be ok... Right?" Vivi said just above a whisper. Zoro scoffed at the thought of his captain failing, yet a trace of doubt lingered in his mind. Sanji decided to pick a fight with Zoro, the both of them having a lot of pent up anxiety for the battle to come as well as the safety of their captain. So Zoro tossed Tani and Usopp aside and attacked Sanji with everything he had. 

Nami shut the fight down fast, her own anxieties of the fight to come was all that fueled her. 

"we need to save our strengths if we want any chance of surviving this!" Nami scolded, her voice shivered with her fear laced words. Sanji obediently did as he was told, sitting on the other end of the crab while Zoro picked Tani and Usopp up again and continued training. 

"uh guys... Hey guys," Chopper said with panic, he was dancing around in his hooves and pointing at the large river up ahead. 

"what's the problem Chops?" Tani questioned. It was hard to keep her eyes on the little reindeer when she kept being bobbed up and down. 

"the crab can't swim! He doesn't like water," Chopper squeaked. Everyone tensed up and jumped to their feet. Vivi gasped dramatically.

"but the Sandora river is too wide for us to swim it!" Vivi squirmed on the spot teary eyed. 

"what if we just make him run faster? Like what mudskippers do?" Tani thought aloud, honestly she was just thinking about all those movies that had people run so fast that they just zoomed across the water. Since this world seemed to run on that logic. "Chopper, ask the crab what he needs us to do to motivate him to run faster," Tani commanded. Chopper nodded and asked right away, his fur stood up and his body language was shy.

"he... He uh said that uh... Pretty women in dancer clothes will make him run faster," Chopper pulled his hat over his eyes shyly. Tani all of a sudden felt like she needed to take a sip in the river to wash off the sudden body shyness she had. Nami being the absolute unit she is though, dropped the robe without a moment's hesitation and put her hands on her hips.

"like this?" she said with a sweet smile that made the crab run a mile. Like the crab just bolted! Vivi stood up next, her robe dropping too, she linked arms with Nami and gave a smile that was pure sunshine despite her internal fears. Tani let out a sigh and dropped her robe too, the trio of women stood with arms linked. The crab ran and ran so fast that it skipped like a stone across the river. Sanji was red in the face as he looked at the girls with admiration, Zoro was covering Choppers eyes and Usopp pulled out Tani's camera and took a photo because this was priceless in his eyes. 

"it's working!" Vivi cheered. Tani let go of Nami's arm and almost yelled at Vivi. She just broke on of the biggest movie rules of all! 

"Vivi! You can't celebrate something like this until we've made it over! Otherwise we-" Tani didn't get the chance to finish before the entire crab with crew attached sank into the water. Tani resurfaced, spitting out water and grumbling "other wise we fail..." 

Everyone resurfaced one by one, Chopper plastered himself onto Zoro's head since the water was super deep. They'd barely made it half way. 

"well... Guess we're swimming," Sanji said, his powerful legs pushing him forward with everyone following in suit. 

Everyone swam as fast as they could, but the deep water and distance from the shore made it really difficult to stay afloat. Luckily Luffy wasn't there, Tani was almost certain he would latch onto her for the journey. It was an odd thing now that the girl thought about it. Zoro and Sanji were much stronger than she was, so Luffy should naturally wanna use them to swim him around. Yet he picked her when they escaped Crocodile last time. In fact he always found an opportunity to spring himself onto her back. Why? The thought made the girls cheeks heat up. 

"look out!" Usopp called bravely as he tugged Tani out of the way. A giant fish skimmed past her. She really needed to stop her brain from spacing out! Stupid Luffy being all cute and making her fluster... Hold the phone! 

"Tani pay attention!" Zoro scolded. He grabbed Tani by the arm and swam as fast as he could, Sanji grabbed the other arm and pulled her along too. She was stuck in day dream mode, probably a mix of stressed and tired. 

"it's coming back!" Usopp cried, pointing up at the large yellow fish with its maws wide open, ready to swallow the crew whole. What a way to go, eaten by a fish. 

The fish never got to eat the crew however, since a whole army of blobby looking creatures rose from the depths and beat the ever loving daylights out of the fish! A swarm of them all punched, slapped and body slammed that fish into oblivion. 

Tani finally snapped out of her daze, looking up with focused eyes she discovered that the crew had been saved by the kung-fu dugongs they met at the beginning of their journey in Alabasta. Even without Luffy there, his influence continues. 

"they asked if we need a lift," Chopper translated. 

"yes please!" Nami shouted back thankfully. So here the crew was, sitting atop the very beat up fish that was now cautiously swimming them to the other side of the river. The ride was quiet, everyone doing their nervous ticks once again. 

"hey?" Vivi said with surprise, pointing towards the shore line that fast approached. There was a trail of dust clouds being kicked up by blurs of sunshine yellow. Vivi felt her heart swell with joy. "it's Carue! And the super spot-billed duck troops," she cheered. 

The fish docked on the shore and swam away as fast as it could, the turtle dugongs waved and returned to the depths from which they came. 

"Carue!" the women of the group cheered at seeing the bird and its paddling of ducks, she ran up and hugged Carue with her whole body. A wholesome reunion.

"alright alright," Zoro interrupted the reunion with a wave of his hand. Attention was diverted to him. He crossed his arms and let out a serious sigh. "what's the plan? Without Luffy around things could get messier," he admitted. Nami nodded in agreement.

"the main objective is to get Vivi to the rebel army before they enter the city boarders, but we can be almost certain that baroque works will be ready to strike." Nami layed out the information we already had. "so all we need to do is figure out what to do from here," she said with her knuckle resting under her chin in thought. Usopp was tapping his foot in thought, the cogs spinning in his mind. 

Click! With the snap of his fingers he presents his brilliant plan. 

...

"we ready Usopp?" Tani asked as she mounted her duck. Heavy brown cloak dropped around her form, Usopp gave her a thumbs up while doing the same. 

The group had decided to draw straws to decide who would pair with who. The plan was to divert attention from Vivi, so they all wore heavy cloaks to remove any identity from themselves to allow Vivi the opportunity to stop the rebels without all the baroque workers raining on her parade. 

"team A, you're to take the front entrance," Vivi instructed, pointing at the small model map she'd drawn in the sand. "team B is taking the south west entrance, and team C will be taking the west entrance," she finalised. The crew nodded in agreement and set up their ducks for take off. 

"so we're team C right?" Tani confirmed with the long nosed sniper. He gave a gulp and nodded. Tani could already feel the pit in her stomach. 

"on my mark!" Nami shouted, her hand held in the air. Everyone faced forward, hands gripping down right in the reins of their ducks. Determination and nervousness present on their faces.

"GO!" 

With the command came a cloud of kicked up sand, leaving Vivi with Carue behind as the rest of the crew made a run for their designated locations. They ran together in a row of six, heading right for the massive battle ground that was Alubarna. Once the big city was in sight, teams B and C diverted from team A. 

Tani and Usopp ran side by side with Sanji and Chopper. Sanji turned to face the very nervous duo that made up team C. He gave them a bright smile full of reassurance. 

"if you need help, don't be afraid to find me alright!" he shouted over the loud sounds of conflict and duck feet padding across the sandy ground. Usopp and Tani gave nervous nods before Sanji and Chopper split from them to enter the south west entrance. The west entrance came into view, with a crack to the reins the ducks ran faster to arrive at their destination.

...

"well that went well!" Tani groaned as she laid atop a downed Usopp. The two of them having just been ambushed by Mr 2 of all people! The flamboyant swam ballerina came in like a flash and with swift kick from his slipper clad feet, managed to kick team C's ass before the duo had the chance to blink. 

"ugh, I feel like I just got kicked so hard that my 'I can't stay in this city anymore' illness just started showing symptoms," Usopp muttered breathlessly. Tani stood up with a wobble, holding out her hand for Usopp to take. The snipers knees shook but he managed to stay up straight, the pair using each other as support. 

"we need to warn the others that Mr 2 is running around right now," Tani commented with a wince as she put too much pressure on her ankle. She better not have sprained that or else she'll be out of the fight and she can't have that right now. Usopp gave a frown. 

"hey, put on your skates real quick," he requested randomly. Tani blinked at him curiously but moved to do as she was told. Lowering down, pulling on her skates and tying them up securely around her feet. What was Usopp planning?

Tani stood up and turned to look at the sniper with questioning eyes. The man gave her a smile and up his hands on her shoulders and started pushing her forward like a trolley. Tani had to hold her arms out awkwardly, like a scarecrow.

Tani's ears perked up as she heard the rapid jingling of a bell. Which meant someone was missing from the team up ahead. Tani tilted her head back to look at Usopp. The man had nervous sweat dripping down his forehead. 

"someone's up ahead, but only one," Tani whispered. Usopp's eyes widened, Tani had to shush him with a finger to the lips before he made an outcry. "I can go ahead, my ankles not feeling that bad right now," she suggested. Usopp gave her a look of disapproval. Keeping his hands firmly in her shoulders as he pushed forward with her, at a much much slower pace.

A blur of bright blonde and blue rounded the corner quickly, skidding across the unstable ground and almost knocking over Tani and Usopp like the bowling pins they are. Sanji stared at them with his one visible blue eye. Relief breathed out of his lungs at the sight of them. 

"Sanji!" Tani and Usopp cried happily together, the both of them holding onto the man's blue cloak like a life line. 

"we got attacked by Mr 2-"

"he got away-"

"and and he beat us up-"

"we didn't stand a chance and-"

"where's Chopper?-"

"what if Mr 2 finds Vivi?-"

"woah woah calm down," Sanji said nonchalantly. His face made him seem calm but his eye just screamed 'yhank the stars they're both alrighr'. He pulled out a cigarette, lit it and blew swirls of smoke into the dry desert air. "I heard a womanly scream and decided to investigate," Sanji explained. Tani pointed at Usopp, who scoffed and thwacked her upside the head. 

"we were ambushed by Mr 2, we didn't see it coming so we got our asses handed to us on a silver platter," Tani explained. Sanji let out a heavy sigh, more smoke danced from his lips. "... Wait where's Chopper?" she said with a hint of concern. 

Sanji's eye widened at the observation. The man cursed under his breath before turning back towards his injured nakama. 

"he's all the way back towards the south west gate, you two should go meet up with him," Sanji suggested but it was more like a demand. Usopp nodded and turned to take his leave. Tani however refused. 

"you'll be alone, I know you're a tough guy but you'll need a partner. That's why we paired up in teams isn't it," she grinned. Her arm already looping around the cooks own. He looked down at her with reluctant eyes. She stared back with unwavering resolve.  
"what if we come across an enemy that's a women, you wouldn't stand a chance mister white knight," Tani teased. The blonde rolled his eyes and huffed. Walking away from Usopp with Tani in tow. Tani gave a thumbs up to Usopp, who nervously returned the gesture.

...

"nyoo~" Mr 2's voice echoed through the empty streets. Tani picked it up before her blonde partner did, her face scrunched up as recent memories of his pointed feet slamming into her stomach and chest replayed. 

"he's here, just ahead," Tani whispered. Sanji nodded, pulling them over to a corner. 

"you stay here, keep a look out for anyone suspicious alright?" he asked. Tani nodded, the blonde gave her a soft smile before turning away to face the flamboyant man. 

Tani watched as they fought, both men utilising their powerful legs to attack. Though Mr 2 seemed to have the upper hand thanks to these really dumb looking swam shoes that would shoot out when he thrust his foot forward. Though thanks to Sanji's much smaller size, he was much quicker to dodge (only barely) the attacks. Tani found Sanji so mesmerising to watch, he managed to gain the upper hand at some point in the battle. Knocking Mr 2 to the ground and winning the battle... Or so we thought.

"the straw hats will always come out in top," Sanji declared coolly, his ragged form looking badass as he let out a puff of smoke, when did he light that? 

"nyooo~ you aren't going to kill me are you?" Mr 2 wept, his make up smudging with the fat tears. Sanji rolled his eyes.

"why would I do that? The captain called you a friend, that would just be shitty for me to do," Sanji sounded so cool! Tani felt her eyes sparkle at the sight of him, he was that cool older brother she'd always wanted. Mr 2 wept louder, holding his face with both hands and wiggling around like a crushing school girl. 

"oh you're so kind! I could never imagine such a wonderful man to exist on this sea," Mr 2 said, he'd slapped his cheek and shifted to Nami's face unintentionally. Sanji instantly tensed, it was really noticeable. "you don't judge by looks or alignment, but by-"

"st-stop using my darling Nami's face!" Sanji said red faced with embarrassment. 

Shit! 

Mr 2 stopped his crying, Nami's face looked cunning and devious. Tani didn't like where this was going. 

The man, using their navigators face managed to dish out blow after blow to the cook, who refused to fight back because he's a chivalrous idiot! So Tani did the first thing she could think of. 

"oi!" she called out, the pair turned to face her. She twirled her yo-yo's around and flicked forward, one of them smacked into one of Mr 2's cheeks. But it was the wrong one because it changed his face to Tani's. Which was unnerving as hell!

"Sanji! That's not me, just hit the other cheek!" Tani assured. Sanji looked at Mr 2's perfect copy of the girl and felt his heart drop. He didn't want to hit her, even if it wasn't the real Tani.

Fed up with Sanji's hesitation, Tani bolts to his side and with one open hand, slaps as hard as she can into the correct cheek. Switching Mr 2 back, as well as knocking the wind out of him. Sanji snapped back to his senses and proceeded to beat up the stunned baroque works agent.

By the time the fight had ended, Mr 2 was covered in red splotches and purple marks. His face was as puffed as his pants, it was an ugly sight. Tani felt kinda bad, sure he did beat them up... But it was his job, and she'd already seen that they could be friends. Luffy already considered him a friend anyway. So with a warm smile, Tani knelt down with her hand in her pocket. She pulled out her very last bell and handed it to the barely conscious man. 

"though we're on opposite teams, the crew will still consider you a friend," she beamed. Bon Clay's swollen face did the best it could to smile. His tears ran like taps again. Thanking the girl and swearing his undying friendship and loyalty to the straw hat crew. Tani gave him her signature thumbs up and turned back to Sanji. 

"shall we head to the palace now?"

...

Tani and Sanji found themselves staring at the towering palace. The guards stood tall and fearlessly in front of the gate, not letting anyone through. 

"please, has princess Vivi passed through here?" Sanji asked the stoic and unloving guards. The stubborn bastardy wouldn't say a word. 

"look! We're here to stop the war, we need to speak with Vivi before its too late to do so!" Tani whined. The guards didn't stir. 

"Ack!"

The familiar sound of the high pitched princess's voice echoed the dust covered main square. Where did all this dusty sad come from?! 

"ahahah," 

Oh... No... Oh no no no! 

Crocodile held Vivi over the ledge of the massive castle wall. Her body dangled limply over the huge drop that would surely result in all of her bones becoming jelly on the stone pavement bellow, should she be dropped. Sanji and Tani ran towards where she would be dropping should Crocodile drop her. Tani felt her heart sink, exchanging a solemn look with Sanji at the results of Croc v Luffy fight. 

Vivi spat words, Crocodile would just laugh that ridiculously stupid laugh. Until the princess must have said something wrong, because the hook that held her up was released. Her body dropped like a lead balloon, her screams couldn't be heard over the sound of conflict as her people fought among themselves, violently slaughtering one another in a war built on lies. 

"CROCODILE!"

Tani felt her heart skip a beat, a wild grin bloomed on her face as she turned around to find the very man she had hoped to see. Standing there with a barrel of water and a hose strapped to his back. His straw hat glowing a bright golden against the dull browns of the sand. 

Luffy took no time pausing, he jumped right into action. This arm looping around the descending Vivi and pulling her towards himself. He caught her, holding her with both his arms close. He's entered 'ass kicking' mode and Crocodile is on the top of the hit list. 

He dropped Vivi in Sanji's arms, Luffy's back was turned from the three present. Tani's heart beat wouldn't slow down, she couldn't help but feel excitement, happiness and pride when she saw her captain standing bravely. Ready to take on the villain again.

"Luffy," she found herself saying without control. The straw hatted man turned to look at her. "good luck, don't die on us," she encouraged.

Luffy gave her a nod, his smile being that of confidence before turning away and slinging himself into the fray once more. 

...

"there's a WHAT!?" The crew all shrieked as they gathered around Vivi who stood outside the palace gates with panic in her eyes. Everyone had just gathered back after taking down the many formidable baroque works agents, and now they had to locate and deactivate a bomb?! This really was a Bond movie! 

"somewhere in the city yes! We need to find it before it blows up!" Vivi said frantically. 

"where would they hide a bomb?!" Chopper squeaked. Zoro pat the nervous deer's shoulder (he was heavy point) which didn't do much to calm his nerves. 

"well if it's a ticking time bomb than just keep your ears peeled for a ticking sound," Tani suggested. Her brain running at a million miles a second going through every bomb scene from every movie she'd seen. Pin pointing every since trope from the 'deactivates at the last second' to the 'always located where you'd most expect it' cliches... That's it! 

"Vivi, where is the highest point in the city?" Tani asked right away. The blue haired princess combed her fingers through her hair in thought. 

"well there's um... There's the palace, the clock tower in the main square, the-"

"boom! We've got the location, everyone let's go! To the clock tower!" Tani took command and started running towards the main stage of the battle field. Guards and rebels dropped like flies as they fought the useless fight. The colourful straw hat crew run through them without a second glance. Eyes set on the clock tower up ahead. 

"I SEE IT! The clock part is slightly off centre!" Usopp cheered nervously, his goggles pulled over his eyes as he stared up at the approaching tower. "there's one... Two people up there, one has a sniper rifle and the other seems to be the one controlling the bomb," Usopp updated.

"wait!" Vivi gasped breathlessly. Heads turned to face her. "you can't get to the top of the tower, the stairs only go so far," she wheezed. 

"how the hell do we get up there then?" Zoro groaned. The group looked critically at the tower, it was far too high for any of them to jump up from the top accessible window. You'd need a double jump for that to work... A double jump!

"guys guys! Double jumping like Mario!" Tani said excitedly. Everyone gave her a dumbfounded look. "Mama Mia you guys don't know Mario, I forgot. OK OK so basically, we need to propel one of us all the way to the tippy top of the tower. Using throwing power," Tani explained.

"the best way to to that is to determine who would be the best to launch, it can't be Zoro or Sanji because you guys are gonna be the launchers," Tani planned aloud. The two men looked at each other with confusion. "Usopp you should stay on the ground floor and take out the sniper and bomb guy, you can do that right?" she asked before turning to see the man in full casts... Oh right. 

"I... I can but it'll need to be one shot," he explained from the backside of Eyelash the camel. "I'll need someone to help me pull back the string," he explained.

"I can do that," Nami volunteered. Already by the snipers side, ready to help. 

"alright now all we need is someone to be launched, and the person that will be holding them for the final jump, the double jump part I mean," Tani rambled. Everyone just looked confused with this whole plan. 

"you should do it, since you know what you're doing," Chopper suggested. "I can hold you through the final jump," he said with confidence. Tani nodded at that and began relaying the instructions.

"Sanji I need you to position yourself in the second window from the ground floor, Zoro you go to the top window. It's important that you guys are ready to push Chopper and I higher into the air. If we make one mistake it could mean the destruction of the city," Tani said with a serious tone. 

The men nodded and proceeded to position themselves in the locations Tani had instructed them to be in. Nami and Usopp were taking out the sniper and bomb guy with ease. Chopper shifted to deer point (Tani couldn't remember the name) and with that she sat awkwardly on his back. 

"on my mark!" Tani shouted. The men readied themselves. Sanji's leg already held up, while Zoro unsheathed his swords. Tani nervously gripped at Choppers horns, only know did she realize that she was going to be flying through the air, what if she fell off? Or failed the jump! Chopper gave her a nervous look, seeing the lack of confidence in her face. 

"On-n my... My. On my mark!" she parroted with a stutter. She shook her head and slapped at her cheeks. She had to do this! What would Luffy do? He'd laugh in the face of danger. So Tani would too! So with a nervously forced laugh she grabbed tightly at Choppers antlers and screamed. 

"GO!"

Chopper ran as fast as he could, his reindeer form gave him an extra spring in his step, so when he jumped her managed to make it to the window where Sanji was positioned with ease. Sanji gave them a confident smirk. His leg whipping out under neath them, Chopper landed on the branched out limb. The combined force of the pair propelled Chopper and Tani higher, the duo making it to Zoro at a rapid rate. The swordsman jumped from the window, his swords formed and X shaped platform for Chopper to once again propels himself off of.

Chopper had made it to the base of the clock part, now was for the double jump. Tani closed her eyes, time froze for a moment as she built up the courage to jump. 

3...

2... 

1...

JUMP! 

She kicked off of Choppers back, flying through the air. Her stomach dropped, and she wasn't ashamed to say that she screamed like a banshee as she flew through the air. Her body landed with a roll on the stone flooring of the clock room. Her voice laughed hysterically as she felt her face tear up from the adrenaline induced action. 

"I'M ALIVE!" She cheered loud enough for the whole country to hear. Now why was she here? Oh right the bomb. She turned to find the massive cannon that would launch the bomb like a big cannonball. There was a live fuse burning at the back of the cannon, that needed to be cut before it was too late. Tani needed something sharp! Or wet, anything really to defuse the fuse. 

Her sweaty forehead made it hard to think, she swiped at the liquid coating her skin... Liquid! Was sweat flammable? Guess there's one way to find out. The girl ran to the fuse and with her sweat coated fingers, clamped her fingers around the burning part. A satisfying sizzle sound escaped, music to her ears. She let out a squeal of joy at the victory.

Tick

Tick

Tick 

"hehee, you idiot," a man's voice mocked the cheering girl. She looked at him with question. He mocked her again, "the bombs got the timer, I made it myself hehehee," 

"well how do you deactivate it?" she asked innocently, already moving to the opening of the cannon. This was just how the movies worked, she just needed to trick him into telling her the secret and she'll be victorious. "after all you are the genius that made such a destructive bomb," she batted her eyelashes with 'admiration' the man blushed.

"well it's rather simple really, the bomb is voice activated but I'm the only one who can do it," he gloated proudly. Tani let out an awed gasp, clapping together her hands. 

"well it must be a very super secret phrase now shouldn't it?" she gushed. Come on just slip up, slip up. 

"it is indeed, a very good code after all,"

"what could it possibly be?"

"well it's genius if I do say so myself,"

"oh do tell, do tell!" 

"it's ravioli ravioli give me the formioli," 

"voice command accepted, bomb successfully deactivated," 

"what?!"

"YES!" Tani laughed, before turning to the short man and clocking (hehee pun) him in the face with her fist. Knocking him out. Now to tie these guys up and get... Down... "how am I gonna get down from here?" she squeaked to herself. 

She moved to the edge of the clock tower and looked down at the ground, her vision spun around as she looked down from the terrifying height. Her stomach bubbled bile up her throat, which she had to swallow back down... Gross. 

Tani paced the small space, her hand to her chin as she wondered deep in thought how she would get out of this one. There was no way in hell she was jumping out of the building. That was just a death wish waiting to happen. So what to do, what to do. 

"need assistance getting down, miss?"

"why yes I do indeed, random voice that just spoke out to me-ahh that was a real voice! who are you?" Tani turned to face a man dressed in pure white, with purple paint on his rather creepy face. 

"fear not, I'm one of princess Vivi's allies," he waved his hands calmly to settle the nerved girl down. "my name is Pell and I've been requested to come to your aid," he said with a bow. Tani looked back and forth between Pell and the open clock tower. 

"how did you get up here? Did you double jump too?" she asked curiously.

"double what? No I flew up here. I ate the bird bird fruit, model hawk," Pell explained. Oh devil fruit shenanigans. 

"well whatever I just really need to get down right now or so help me I'm going to have a breakdown and cry," Tani rambled with a forced smile. Pell nodded and shifted his form before Tani's very eyes. It was so weird but cool. Like a super hero! His arms grew larger with feathers, his legs shrank into these sharp talons, and his face grew a beak. Only his eyes remained the same, still that piercing purple colour.

"hop on miss," he ordered. Tani did just that, her hands clamped tightly around the birds neck. His face tensed as he realised just what he'd need to go through in the next 20 seconds... 

...

Tani's blood curdling screams could have been heard from the high heavens, you'd think she was dying? Well she certainly thought she was. Dive bombing to the ground was not how she wanted to be drawn back to the precious ground. Yet here she was being rocketed from the clock tower to said ground. Pell's ears were ringing for the next couple hours thanks to that. 

"remind me to never ever never never ever EVER! Do a double jump again... Ever!" the frazzled girl slurred. Leaning against Sanji, who scooped the jelly legged girl into his arms the moment she landed. Everyone was here... Well almost everyone.

"has Luffy come back yet?" Tani asked. Nami shook her head, explaining that the palace was currently empty. Meaning the fight had moved places, but where? 

As if the heavens had heard her question, the earth beneath them shook violently. Nami fell over, knocking Usopp down with her. Zoro stood like a brick, Chopper sat on his shoulders. Tani was still in Sanji's arms, using himself as a cushion should they topple over. 

"I bet that's Luffy's doing," Tani laughed. Zoro shook his head with a grin, the crew seemed to burst into laughter.

Of course Luffy was causing tremors in the very earth they walked on. 

He was the future king of the pirates after all!


	19. Mr Sandman! Bring Me A Sand! Sand Sand Man Sand Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I would like to thank all of my amazing supporters from twitter who have been helping me keep motivated with writing this story (I'm looking at you tentacle squad!!!) 
> 
> So to thank them I wanna shout out the amazing stories of my wonderful friends! Looking for a raising star oc X Sanji fic? Maybe a college au then go check out @All_blue and her amazing works!!! 
> 
> Need a cheerleader Sanji fix??? Of course you do! Well go take a look at my good pal @OnePieceTrashh
> 
> Love you guys so much, you make it so much fun to write this fic!!! 
> 
> On to the story

It started with a single drop of rain, the little drop came down from the sky and hit Usopp smack bang in the eye. At first he whined about it, but then the next drop fell, and the next, and the next so on so forth. The fighting ceased, the confused men and women stuck in a daze as the freshly fallen rain showered over their bloodied skin. 

Cheers and screams of pure elation filled the air, the war they had fought only seconds ago was long forgotten as they basked in the refreshing rain. The reign of terror was over, they were free. 

"the rain has fallen! The nightmare is finally over!" Vivi cried to her people, the men and women stared at their princess. The fat tears rolled down Vivi's cheeks, mixing with the blessed rain. 

"hey what's that?" some random called out. The massive form of a man came crashing down from the heavens, slamming into the centre square with his limbs spread out and his eyes rolled back. 

Crocodile.

Tani felt the urge to walk over and kick the knocked out man. But she stayed with her nakama, waiting patiently for their captain to return. 

The earth shook again, many toppled and fell over one another. A cloud of dust bloomed from the other side of the city. That had to be Luffy's doing. Nobody could be that destructive. So the crew waited... And waited... And waited. Chopper went over everyone's wounds, but he couldn't heal their worried hearts. 

A single bell caught Tani's attention, her face lit up in the same manner as the towns people at the sight of rain. He was here! Luffy's back! She lifted her head only to be faced with a tall man with aged features, piggybacking a passed out Luffy. Zoro was quick to collect the sleeping captain, giving a thankful nod to the mystery man.

Luffy looked like he'd been through hell and back, his knuckles bloodied from the long fight, crimson stained bandages wrapped his torso, and his skin was tinted a slight purple. Wasn't Luffy unable to bruise? 

"father..." Vivi smiled. The man opened his arms, and the princess charged full force at him. Wrapping her arms around him tightly, sobbing happily for the millionth time that day. "it's over! We won!" she cried. The king lifted her face and wiped away her tears. He slowly faces the straw hat crew, who were crowding their wounded captain.

"straw hat was badly poisoned during his fight, Crocodiles partner administered the cure so he should survive," the king informed. That would explain Luffy's normally sun-kissed skin being that sickly purple. "he also lost a lot of blood, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't wake up for another three days," Vivi's father finished, turning to face Vivi once again.

"the people are in need of our guidance," the king said softly. Turning his gaze back to the crew who had helped secure their victory. "you wouldn't mind if I stole Vivi for a while would you?" he asked. 

"no no not at all, please take your time," Nami said, only those who really knew her could hear the strain in her words. The king gave her a nod, turning away with Vivi in tow. Once the royal pair was out of sight... 

Collapse

The straw hats melted into a puddle on the wet sandy stone path, panting and groaning tiredly. They were completely and utterly exhausted! This was their biggest achievement yet, so they earned this nap. The crew curled close to one another, using each other for warmth and comfort. Sleep taking hold of them all. 

...

Tani woke up in what felt like the most comfortable bed in the world, she didn't remember falling asleep in a bed so she jolted up and stared at her surroundings.

The room was a white walled room with rows of beds, each bed held its own straw hat. Tani let out a relieved sigh, a small warm smile gracing her tired face. Zoro and Luffy snored loudly, Sanji was tangled in his blanket while falling off the bed, Usopp was drooling and Nami was hugging Chopper like a fluffy teddy bear. 

A loud rumble bubbled from the lone girls stomach, her hands flying to clutch her demanding stomach. A bright red bloomed on her face, which was stupid because nobody heard her. 

"you're finally awake,"

Never mind... 

Tani lifted her head to find a baggy eyed Vivi rushing to her side. The princesses hair was out, laced with expensive looking jewelry. She looked like a real princess, and Tani found herself bedazzled. 

"how are you? Do you feel ill? Does anything hurt?" Vivi fired a question a second. Tani blinked back her confusion before putting her hands on the frantic princesses shoulders.

"food," Tani demanded. Vivi blinked dumbly before bursting into laughter. 

"of course of course, let me go grab Igaram," she stated merrily before gliding out the door to who knows where. Now that Tani was left alone with her thoughts, her first instinct was to check for her stuff. Her bag was safely placed on a bed side table, and rummaging through it she found that everything seemed to be in order... Except her camera. 

The thing wasn't broken no, it had been used. Tani could tell because there was a smudged finger print on the button that was not hers. Her curiosity was peaked, who took photos while she wasn't paying attention? How did any of them know how to use it? She wanted to get the film developed so she could find out. 

"mama maaaa!" that oh so familiar voice filled the room, as did the scent of mouth watering food! A few bodies stirred by her side. Nami and Chopper raised their tired heads, rubbing the sleep from their eyes. "oh princess Vivi, it looks like more have awoke," the Mayor guy from Whisky peaks?! Entered the room... Wasn't he-

"I thought you exploded?" Nami stated bluntly with widened eyes. Chopper squeaked at that, turning to face the red head with half formed words spilling from his mouth. 

"well you s-" cough cough, "ma maa! Well you see, I was saved right before the blast by a flurry of hands tossing me into the ocean," he explained. That was weird and down right creepy, but he's alive and that's all that matters. "is any-" cough, "maa! Ma!  Anyone hungry?" he asks while revealing a plate of food that Tani wasn't familiar with. She took the closest thing to an apple (it was pretty sweet but had a sourish bite afterwards) and a couple of the flat breads. 

Nami and Chopper ate as well, the smell that filled the air managed to wake up Usopp and Sanji. Who joined the group that was forming between Tani and Nami's beds. Last to wake up was Zoro, who let out a massive yawn and strolled over only to fall back to sleep on Tani's bed. 

Luffy was still knocked out. But the damage he took from that fight with Crocodile was brutal! How he managed to survive being poisoned, dehydrated, drowned in sand and punched clean through the chest was a miracle in itself! Tani turned her gaze to his peaceful face, no signs of pain or fear. It was calming... This whole ordeal was over. 

After everyone had finished their breakfast, Vivi offered to show them around the palace and Alubarna. Zoro and Chopper stayed behind to watch Luffy (well Zoro was sleeping so really it was just Chopper) the rest of the crew was walked around the palace. It's what Tani was expecting when she thought Arabian nights meets Sahara desert. 

What caught her ear though was the sound of her special bell ringing.

"finally!" she cheered, pulling the bell out of her pocket and shaking it. Her crew plus Vivi looked at her with confusion. The girl just grinned at them, "well looks like I'll be splitting from here, I got a store to find!" she stated excitedly, she couldn't wait for air conditioning! And water bottles! But mostly air conditioning!

Usopp was curious about this store she went to often, he wanted to follow her. Yet had to hold himself back, what if she was a witch or cursed him for following her? He couldn't risk it. Sanji gave a huff, it looked weird without smoke following but the doctors orders were no smoking for the next day or two. Nami didn't pay much mind to Tani's actions, she knew the girl just needed a slice of home. Vivi continued with the tour, sans one participant. Tani would find her way back, she had a weird knack for finding her nakama after all. 

...

"hello! Long time no see," Tani quipped as she entered the automatic doors of the IDCS, waving at the familiar clerk who smiled and waved back. "you wouldn't happen to know where I can grab some water bottles would you?" Tani asked. The clerk simply smiled and floated (yes floated!) over the counter.

"right this way madam," they stated, waving their hand in a ghostly manner towards one of the many rows of shelves. The sign above the lane stated it was the 'water based products' lane, as she passed she found swimming gear and bottled drinks. Maybe Tani could find some bathers and a snorkel. Tani grabbed three reusable bottles of water, as she turned her eyes caught onto a device she'd never seen before. 

It was small, in a bright peach colour with black parts poking out both sides of the small oval shaped centre. The black parts had holes in them, like a radios speakers kinda look if Tani had to compare it to anything. The clerk gave a chime like giggle. 

"I see our exclusive scorkel device has caught your eye, they're rather popular in the 2100's," they remarked, standing in front of the product, "this scorkel is an IDCS exclusive item that allows the user the ability to breath underwater. Simply bite around the cushion like mouth guard and inhale through the mouth," they chirped with that infomercial voice, "our line of scorkels come in a wide range of colours, and sell for the reasonable price of $50 per model," they ended with a grin. 

Tani looked back at the item, it would be extremely useful in a situation where someone like Luffy or Chopper fell in the ocean, or they needed to go deep diving. Tani turned back to the clerk and asked a couple more questions. Which the clerk answered dutifully, each response making it very clear that this was a product that would aid Tani immensely. So she grabbed that peach one that caught her eyes, her three water bottles, a couple snacks and a one piece bathing suit and swim shorts. She wanted to go swimming after all this craziness. 

Maybe the palace has a pool? Probably not since its a desert island and all. Swimming made her mind run back to those times when she'd visit the beach with her mother... And him. The home sickness seemed to simmer in the back of her mind. She missed her mum, hoping that the woman was alright on her own. 

"will that be all for today," the clerk asked, floating back to the counter. Tani gripped her backpacks straps, realisation dawned on her face. 

"actually," Tani stated, pulling out her camera from her bag and handing it over to the clerk. "can you develop these for me?" she asked. The clerk took the camera and with a flick of the wrist, opened and removed the film within. 

"of course I can, it'll take about 3 days for your photos to be developed. As a thank you for using our services, please accept our IDCS brand film as a replacement for your camera," the clerk smiled, reloading the camera before Tani could say anything. "now, will that be all for today?"

Tani gave a small smile while taking her camera back, she handed over her items and the card to proceed with purchase. A question on her mind. 

"how exactly do I earn currency?" she'd been wondering this since Lougetown but forgot to ask. The clerk scanned an item.

"for every major plot point you complete successfully, you'll be rewarded with points," they answered. Tani blinked in surprise.

"what like? Like a movie plot?" she asked with a couple stars dancing in her eyes. The clerk snickered. 

"it's more like a TV show or long running comic series, but yes," they said with a wink. Tani bounced on the balls of her feet. Does that mean future adventures would work with her movie logic way if thinking? That would be hella useful if that was the case. The clerk placed the neatly filled bags on the counter top, bells a plenty tied to the bags. Tani took them in her hands.

"thank you so much, see ya later!" Tani waved, the clerk gave a grin that was a little bit wider than their average smile and waved back with a "thank you, come again,".

Tani turned her back on the clerk and left the store... Now how does she get back?

...

Miraculously Tani found her way back to the palace infirmary, Zoro was still napping in her bed which meant she wasn't getting that back any time soon. Usopp was fiddling with a blueish staff that Tani hadn't seen before, was that a new weapon of his? Nami and Sanji were missing from the room, as well as Vivi so she was probably with those two. Tani turned her eyes towards the still sleeping captain.

His skin was much healthier now, that purple was now gone. Fresh bandages coated his knuckles and torso. He was recovering quickly, which was wonderful news that lifted the weights off the whole crews shoulders. 

Tani sat on Zoro's bed, which was right next to Luffy's. She pulled out a packet of lays, popped that sucker open and crunched on the thin potato chips. A small part of her hoped that the smell of food would wake Luffy up, but it was still only day one of his expected rest time. She could only hope.

"hey whatcha got there?" Usopp asked from the other side of the room, dropping the blue staff and walking over. Tani held out the packet of chips for Usopp to take some. Hope he likes sour cream and onion. Chopper turned around and followed behind Usopp to inspect the snack. Soon all three of them were sitting on Tani's new bed and sharing the snack. 

"these taste different from the last time we had them," Usopp observed. Tani thought back to when they'd last shared snacks... Oh! When Luffy lost half their stuff at the beginning of the trip! She had a packet of original chips last time. 

"it's a different flavour, I got sour cream and onion rather than original," Tani informed. This felt like a conversation she'd have had at school with her classmates. This time however, she was surrounded by people that actually care about her. So they ate the chips together, enjoying each others company blissfully.

...

"oh you're back," Nami said to Tani, looking up at the girl who was holding a thick envelope in her hands. "where were you off to?" the red head inquired. Tani held out the envelope with a grin.

"I got my photos developed, now I have pictures of our adventures from the beginning of the Grandline up until now," Tani grinned. Walking over to Nami and sitting next to her on the small couch, the navigator leaned into Tani to get a better look at the photos. 

The first image was of Luffy standing atop the platform where the previous pirate king was executed. Now that was a day! Chased by marines, finding the dimension store, almost losing Luffy to a clown! And it only got weirder from there... 

The next image was the top of reverse mountain, it was a really pretty view. Even if it was much too high for Tani's tastes. Everyone was so excited! That was also an adventurous day. 

There were a bunch of random photos ranging from silly snaps of the crew relaxing on deck, to scenic shots of the islands they'd visited... Then Tani found them. 

There was a couple of shots that she didn't take, because she was in the shot! She didn't know who took them (or knew how to use the camera for that matter) but there was a shot of her in the sleeping pile of straw hats from the first night in Alabasta. There was a few from that night actually, a lot of them focusing on Tani and Luffy (though it caught Usopp and Chopper since they were also attached to the girl). This had to be Ace! Or Vivi? But she seemed too innocent for that. 

She skimmed passed many of the other photos, though gave a snicker at the one of Ace with his face planted in his meal from when they were split off from the crew. All of the photos made the girl grin, she'd be holding onto these for a while. 

By the time she finished looking through the photos, Chopper and Usopp had joined the viewing. Zoro was napping and Sanji was bringing in lunch any minute now. Luffy had been shifting in his sleep so the crew hoped he would be awoken by the smell of meat. 

As if on cue! Sanji hollered at the crew with a trolley of food being pushed in front of him. Tani kept her eyes on Luffy, because she knew this was gonna be funny. The captains nose twitched like a dog's, his eyes shifted behind his eye lids, fingers flexed and relaxed. All Sanji had to do was-

Sanji lifted the lid off a tray of cooked meat, and like a spring board Luffy had flung up. Sitting as straight as a board as he stared at the tray, his first instinct was to grab and shove the whole thing in his mouth... So he did.

"geez... Not even a good morning? Hey how have you guys been while I've been passed out for three days?" Usopp chastised the captain who wasn't paying attention because he was sitting there with a quizzical look on his face. If you looked hard enough you could see the steam pouring out his ears. His face quickly changed to that of realization, his fist hitting the palm of his other hand. 

"that's fifteen meals I've missed," Luffy claimed. Tani just blinked in surprise, as did Nami and Usopp. Who would have thought Luffy could count past ten? Sanji rolled his eyes and planted his foot into the captains face with a scowl. Chopper panicked and told Sanji off for being so violent against the patient.

"... Wait that's five meals a day!" Nami shouted, Tani and Usopp pat her on the back in sync. It wasn't worth it Nami... 

"I'm hungry! Let's have that feast already!" Luffy declared. What feast? Vivi who had followed Sanji in with the meal, closed her eyes and gave her biggest smile. 

"I'll let the chefs know that your reward is ready to be delivered," she beamed. Turning around and leaving the room with her smooth blue hair fanning behind her. It was so weird seeing it not in a pony tail.

Chopper jumped onto Luffy's bed and did a quick once over on Luffy's injuries. They'd all healed very quickly which was great for the crew. It meant they didn't need to stay around for any longer. 

"so when are we leaving?" Zoro asked from his bed, everyone's eyes on him. That's right, they may have saved the country but they were still wanted criminals...

"shouldn't we wait for Vivi? She hasn't been asked to join the crew yet has she?" Nami asked. Luffy gave a quick nod, attention now on their captain. 

"we'll leave tonight, after our feast because I'm hungry," he declared. Some eye rolls and soft snickers littered the silent room. 

"than that's the plan," Zoro reconfirmed with a nod. Now they just needed to have their rewarded feast. 

...

Well that was insane! Arms reached over each other to grab meals off the dishes splayed across the massive table, plates and glasses handed to those too far away to reach. Luffy's limbs flew around the place, stealing from everyone's plates and shovelling fifteen meals worth of food into is gullet. Chopper choked on his food, Sanji asked for recipes, Zoro and Nami had a drink off (Nami won) and Tani was just trying to not get hit whenever Luffy retracted his arms. 

Everyone had a pleasant time. It was as jolly as the small parties they had on the Going Merry... Tani missed the Merry, she missed her jacket and her spot near the Merry's figure head. 

"you gonna eat that?" Luffy of all people asked her, pointing at her half finished plate. Normally the bastard would just steal it and be on his merry way. Tani just gave him a soft smile and handed him the plate. She could always just grab something else off the table. Nami and Usopp exchanged a look of 'what the hell, did that interaction actually happen?!' with each other before turning back to defending their food. 

All in all, a great feast that was well earned for these rookie pirates. 

...  
Puru puru puru 

"since when did we get a snail phone?" Tani asked, folding the blanket she was taking with her... What the blankets here were soft! Sanji pulled the small snail out of his suit pocket. 

Puru puru kacha 

"hello?" Sanji answered cautiously. It was an enemy den den after all. There was a beat of silence before-

"STRAW HAT NYOOOO~?" 

The sound of Bon Clay's voice bounced off the walls and struck the unsuspecting straw hats ears. Luffy got up and took the den den off of Sanji and answered.

"yo! Who's this?" Luffy asked. Tani and Sanji exchanged a look. Both of them knowing exactly who it was. 

"Straw hat! It's me Bon Clay," the flamboyant man responded. Luffy's face soured a bit. 

"didn't you beat up my nakama? Next time I see you I'm gonna kick your ass," Luffy growled. 

"yes I did, and I'm so sorry nyooo! I was just doing my job please forgive me straw hat~" Bon Bon cried, the sound of his bell dinged on the other end of the line. Tani felt her face lift slightly.

"oh ok then!" Luffy laughed. Many jaws dropped at their captain quick to forgive attitude. "why'd you call?" Luffy asked. 

"ah well straw hat! I have safely secured and protected your ship from the marines," Bon Clay responded. Everyone tensed. "I've hidden your ship for now, but you don't have much time before they find it again," he informed seriously. Luffy hummed with a nod, eyeing the crew knowingly. 

"alright, keep merry safe!" Luffy commanded. Bon Bon responded with a "nyoo~" before hanging up. 

The room went silent, everyone hurried to packing their bags again. Then she spoke. 

"so you're leaving now then?" Vivi said with a teary expression. The crew turned to look at the princess standing in the doorway. The crew had already packed their bags and was using the windows as an escape. Luffy turned to the princess and grinned. 

"come with us," he suggested. It wasn't like how he normally asked people to join his crew. This was more of an invitation rather than a command. Vivi actually had a choice in the matter. 

A colour of emotions filtered over her face, ranging from excitement to worry, gratitude to sadness. All of them until she settled on a close eyed smile. 

"I'll need to think about it," she stated. Luffy gave a nod. 

"we're leaving at noon tomorrow, you have until then," Luffy told her, turning back to the window to follow the rest of the crew who were slipping out. Tani was the second last to leave, her eyes lingering on the massive drop. Why of all the things she could have feared did it have to be heights? 

Tani froze up as she stared down at the ground, her nakama waved at her and smiled as a way to assure her she was going to be alright... Then a Luffy got involved.

"let's go!" the rubber man cheered, an arm coiled around the fearful girls waist. She tensed, knowing exactly what was to come. "Gum Gum" he shot his free hand forwards, grabbing onto something outside. 

"no no no wai-"

"rocket!" 

The pair flew through the air, way faster than Pell did when he held Tani. Luffy aimed right for where Zoro was standing, the unlucky sucker didn't know what hit him... Well he did but he couldn't have reacted because it's Luffy! He's a force of nature in all honesty. 

Tani rolled away from Luffy as soon as they landed. She gasped to fill her lungs with air, laying flat on the ground to embrace the sandy earth like it was her life source. Zoro, Nami and Sanji all thwacked their captain upside the head, though he just chuckled and recovered. 

"come on everyone! We gotta go save Merry," Luffy commanded, everyone let out a tired but determined sigh and followed behind their now fully healed captain. 

...

"Luffy it's too early to leave!" Nami fretted. Only for the side of the ship to get pierced by yet another one of the marines harpoons. 

The crew was in a panic at this point, Usopp and Tani were below deck trying to patch up the holes while Zoro and Sanji were pulling out the massive metal harpoons. Chopper had been put on steering and Nami was doing her navigator thing. Oh and Bon Clay had just pulled a self sacrifice move and got his whole crew captured to allow the straw hats an escape. Luffy having given the flamboyant man a tearful goodbye and promising to never forget him. 

The crew had to leave earlier than planned, the Merry was taking on some massive damage. So with solemn expressions the straw hats pulled the anchor and set sail, hoping Vivi would forgive them.

"Luffy!" a voice called out through what sounded like an intercom. The crew had been so distracted with escape that they had failed to hear the wonderful words of their nakama. The tearful words of goodbye from Vivi, who had declined the offer to join in order to stay with her people. 

"are we still friends? Straw hat Luffy!" the princess hiccuped tearfully. Luffy went to shout back, but Sanji clamped a hand over the captains mouth. 

"shh, careful Luffy. If Vivi is associated with pirates she'll be an enemy to the world government," Sanji said lowly. 

Everyone had gathered onto the back end of the boat. Seeing the princess in a beautiful white and red garment, her blue hair contrasting with the golden sands around her. 

"please... Are we still nakama?" she cried. Luffy turned away from her. Slowly lifting his arm in the air, the sleeve of his robe fell to reveal the white cloth used to cover up the X marks on their arms. He tore the cloth off his arm and held the X mark high and mighty for the princess to see. The rest of the crew followed. All of them standing in a row, showing off their declaration of friendship and silent promise of support for one another. 

Vivi tearfully held up her arm as confirmation of her loyalty to the straw hats. Wishing them good luck on their journey.

"set sail!" Luffy commanded. Everyone made a run for their positions. Nami catching a particularly strong breeze and zooming the boat away from the desert island. Their adventures on the Grandline resumed. 

...

"what are you guys all moping about?" Zoro asked the six straw hats all lining the railing with gloomy expressions. 

"we miss Vivi," they said in sync. Zoro rolled his eyes.

"she made her choice, we can't be upset about it," he stated matter-of-factly. Everyone narrowed their eyes at him.

"shitty swordsman,"

"you neanderthal,"

"heartless jerk,"

"moss for brains,"

"three sword style,"

"..."

"Luffy that's not an insult," Usopp corrected, Luffy thought for a moment before editing his insult. 

"four sword style," he improved, that seemed to strike a nerve that the rest of the crew didn't realize... That is except Tani who burst into laughter when remembering four sword style. 

"alright you idiots let's get going before the marines come back for more," Zoro took charge, everyone got up sluggishly and prepared to navigate this wild ocean.

"my my, you sure are a funny bunch," came the alluring voice of a woman... Wait a minute.

All attention was drawn to the raven haired woman sitting on the stairs of the Merry her head resting on her palm as she smiled a dangerously sweet smile. Weapons were drawn and held in the mystery woman's direction. 

"what are you doing on my ship lady?" Luffy glared, crossing his arms as he stared at the woman. She gave a little huffed laugh. 

"I'm here to join your crew of course," she said smoothly. Was she... Was she kidding? 

"but you're the lady that was in that underground thing when I kicked Crocodile's ass, you're a bad guy," Luffy rebutted. 

"yes but you saved my life when I'd lost all will to live. Therefore I'm your problem now," she refuted. "plus my previous organisation ceases to be," The cogs in Luffy's brain churned before he nodded. 

"yeah that makes sense, welcome aboard!" he cheered. Everyone but Sanji seemed to be against this. Sanji just did his usual women appreciation thing, while the rest of the crew strangled their captain.

"she's gotta be a spy or something! Maybe an assassin" Usopp shivered as he looked at the woman cautiously. She gave him a lazy wave which freaked him out. 

"this is crazy! Luffy how can you trust someone so readily?" Tani said with her arms crossed. Luffy gave that unique "shishishi" laugh before shrugging.

"I dunno, just instincts," he snickered. Everyone rolled their eyes and groaned. Well he is the captain...

"whatever, let's just follow the log pose and get to the next island, we need to restock soon," the navigator state, grabbing Sanji by the back of his shirt and dragging him away to help her with steering.

Tani and Usopp both exchanged a look, turning back to look at the woman. Hell they didn't even know her name! How were they supposed to trust her. 

"what are we gonna do?" Tani whisper shouted to Usopp. The sniper held his chin in thought. 

"why don't we just interrogate her? If she's on the crew she can't refuse," Usopp clicked. Tani clapped in agreement.

So here they were now, two chairs pulled up to the women's table and asking her questions. 

"what's your name?" Tani was the first to ask a question 

"Nico Robin, please call me Robin," she relied.

"pleased to meet you Robin... Wait! Don't think you can butter me up like that. You're still suspicious," Tani angry pouted. The older woman just laughed.

"what's your occupation?" Usopp questioned. 

"I'm an archaeologist," she answered simply. Tani blinked dumbly.

"but you were working for a crime syndicate? Like top dog levels, how the hell did you achieve that?" Tani prodded. Robin tilted her head. 

"I can defend myself, I'm very good at not getting caught you know," she gave off an air that said this was very true. Usopp butt into the conversation.

"do you have a devil fruit?" Usopp questioned suspiciously. She leaned back in her chair, her hands crossed over her chest in an X shape before she spoke. 

"tres fluer" 

The scent of flowers filled the air, as did many little pink petals that were caught in the wind. 

"Tani! You're head!" Usopp shrieked. Tani blinked confusedly. Her hands moving to touch her head, only instead of touching her curly hair or baseball cap, she felt soft skin. The arms that bloomed from her head bent to grab her hand in a friendly hand shake. 

"I bare the Hana Hana fruit," she replied, her hands unfolding from her chest. The arms puffed into a collection of petals. "it allows me to sprout any part of my body onto any surface," she explained. Tani was in awe! What a creepy yet awesome power! 

"she's a monster!" Usopp wailed, hiding behind Tani. The girl rolled her eyes and pushed the cowardly sniper away. "she could kill us all! Or spy on us when we weren't expecting it!" he said with a pointed finger. Tani turned him away from Robin, the pair faced each other and began discussing.

"she could be a danger to the ship," Usopp whisper shouted. 

"but she's also been approved by Luffy, and she hasn't harmed us yet,"

"YET!" 

"shh keep it down,"

"hey Tani! Usopp look look!" Luffy interrupted their conversation. The pair turned in sync to find Luffy facing away from them, hands sprouted from his head. He turned around and pulling his best impression face. "Chopper!" he said in a Chopper voice. 

"pffft," Tani spat out a laugh, Usopp followed behind. Usopp rolled on the floor clutching his stomach while Tani wiped tears from her eyes. All that tension... And Robin was just as immature as the rest of them. 

Tani turned back to find no malice in the woman's gaze, she looked relaxed. Far more so than she did when she was Miss All-sunday. Her ability to entertain Luffy and the others would also be a great asset to the crew. They needed an adult on this ship. 

Maybe Robin wouldn't be so bad.


	20. Remember When The 4Kidz Dub Dropped A Boat On The Straw Hats And Killed Them?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey heyyy, long time no see! I'm so so so sorry for not writing anything for like a month now?! Uni has kicked me in the ass and called me pathetic. I lost all my motivation to write. But here I am! Back and better than ever... Kinda! 
> 
> Anyway I'll try to update at least once every two weeks but I can't promise I will because that would be a lie :( 
> 
> Thank you for sticking around! And welcome to anyone who's new!!!!

"the fish aren't biting today," Usopp whined. Slumping over the railing with his fishing rod in hand. Tani was bored out of her mind. Zoro was doing more solo training to hone in on that new steel cutting technique he learned when fighting Mr 1, so Tani was left to entertain herself with a fishing rod... But no fish were biting. 

"ugh!" Nami groaned for the fifth time that morning, she was furiously tapping at the log pose attached to her wrist. "stupid thing is broken," she growled. 

"Miss navigator, what seems to be the problem?" Robin asked politely. Walking over to Nami's side, she noticed that the pose was pointing upwards. Nami gave it a few more taps but let out an annoyed groan and flopped over the railing outside the kitchen area. Her log pose was exposed, and seemed to grab Luffy's unstimulated minds attention. Robin let out a snicker.

"that means that another island with a much stronger magnetic pull has caught our log. A sky island to be exact," she sounded full of wisdom, maybe she's been to a sky island before. 

Luffy grabbed Nami's hand and pulled it closer to him so he could take a look at the log pose. His eyes glittering with adventurous intent. Nami let out a gasp and pulled her hand away. 

"no no no no no! We are not going to a sky island, because we can't fly!" she stated matter-of-factly. Luffy pouted and crossed his arms. 

"but Nami," he elongated her name, "I'm the captain, and I wanna go to the sky island," he said defiantly, with absolution in his tone. 

"who has ever heard of a ship sailing in the sky? Because I haven't," Nami retorted. As if the gods had heard her question. A giant ass boat fell from the sky! Landing way to close of comfort. The waves from the ships landing washed over the main deck of the Merry. Robin made a net of arms to catch anyone who threatened to fall over board. 

"Nami! Rule one of the movie hand book. Never ever make a statement like that!" Tani coughed, water sputtered from her mouth. "it's like a jinx, the opposite of what you say will happen... Every.... Time," oh man now her jacket was wet.

"I wanna see the ship!" Luffy declared, shaking his head like a dog drying it's fur. Water sprinkled over anyone within a three feet radius. Nami pointed at the wrecked boat that was sinking into the depths of the sea. 

"you can't, because it's in the ocean and you can't swim," Nami sounded frustrated beyond words. Robin walked over to the raging red head and pat her shoulder. 

"why don't we try a deep dive expedition?" robin suggested, "it would allow us some insight as to how this boat managed to fall from the sky. As well as satisfy Mr captain's need for adventure," the women persuaded. Nami rubbed her temple tiredly but agreed to it when robin also mentioned hidden treasures. 

So here the crew was, with three barrels with glass windows installed (thanks to Usopp and his brilliant ability to make stuff), the barrels were hooked up to long tubes that nobody had any idea was on the ship. The whole invention was insanely simple yet complex. It's pretty much the nautilus man but made of barrels. 

Tani came running out of her room in her bathers, swim shorts and scorkel. She didn't care what the others said, she's going swimming and they can't stop her. The crew decided that Luffy, Zoro and Sanji would be the ones going on this adventure. So the three of them suited up and looked... They looked ridiculous. 

"how are you guys gonna move in those things?" Tani asked while tying her hair back. Luffy let out a gasp. 

"you have a second eye?!" he pointed with surprise at the now revealed left eye of the girl. She gave him a look telling him that he was a moron.

"what do you mean I have a second eye?! Everyone has two eyes! Unless you cut it out or something," she replied. Luffy pointed at Sanji.

"do you have two eyes?" the captain asked. Sanji kicked Luffy over, the poor boy rolled around helplessly like a turtle in its back. 

"of course I have a second eye," Sanji snapped. Zoro just laughed at the whole situation. 

"alright shut up you lot!" Nami said with a commanding tone. "Tani since you aren't connected to these tubes, we won't have any way to communicate with you," she said pointing at the tubing connecting to the tops of the barrels the boys were wearing. Tani gave a nod. 

"don't worry, I've got these guys here to keep me safe," Tani pointed at the three men. They gathered on the side of the boat, not quite sure how to dive in with the barrel on. Tani gave a wide grin, walked to one side of the boat, then bolted to the other side. Leaping high into the air with a "YAHOO!" she straightened herself out into the pin drop position and splashed into the water. 

It didn't take the others long to join her. Tani forgot she'd been holding her breath, time to check out this scorkel device! She moved the peach coloured device to her mouth, opening her maw and chomping down on the soft sphere as instructed by the clerk. The soft material moulded around her teeth, then that watery feeling left her mouth and fresh air filtered through. It was weird and would take some time to get used to, but she could breath! This was so cool. 

She turned to see Zoro and Sanji giving her quizzical looks, Luffy on the other hand looked amazed. The barrels on the boys made it easier for them to start sinking down, Tani had no weights on her so she would need to hold onto one of the boys, or swim herself which would be tiring. Tani swam to the closest barrel (which happened to be Luffy) and held onto one of his gloves arms, the group of divers sank down slowly. 

It came as no surprise that a sea monster would be there, but coming face to face with a giant octopus was not what Tani wanted to encounter. Luffy couldn't do anything stretchy because of the barrel suit and ocean water. Sanji was already tangled up in one of the octopuses massive tentacles. His legs struggling to kick away as it curled around his entire body, it almost yanked him out of the barrel. Had it not been for Zoro and his quick thinking (and swords) that they managed to down the octopuses limb count from eight to zero. 

Tani could see that Luffy was talking but couldn't hear him so she just continued holding his arm until they made it to the wreckage. It looks so cool! Way cooler than the rusty, algae covered boats from her time. She let go of Luffy and swam towards a spot that caught her attention. 

She swam freely in the ocean, she'd really missed this. You'd think that being surrounded by ocean would let you swim it it often? but you'd be wrong. Most of the straw hats time was spent on islands and running away from marines. 

The spot that Tani swam to looked like the broken off room of someone important, maybe it was the captain? She didn't really know but that was her best guess. What really drew her towards this spot was the shimmering bronze of what looked like... A bell. It had a similar shape to the ones Tani would receive from the dimension store, only hers were golden. She removed the barely intact string from the skeletal remains of the 'captain' and explored the room a bit more. 

A shadowy form swam by one of the broken glass windows of the room. Tani's senses raise to high alert, she didn't want to take on a sea king on her own. Hopefully she could apply all those shark defence techniques she'd learned from the movies... Hopefully.

What she didn't expect to see however, was a man? Looked like a man, in a black full body swimsuit. The guy was attaching hooks into the sides of the room, giving a tug to the last one. He hadn't noticed her yet, so she decided to try and very sneakily swim away, if he was hostile towards her then she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle him. 

A current formed, the room she was still within was being lifted from the sea floor. The water around the room pulled her towards the brittle flooring of the detached room. She couldn't move, her stomach was plastered to the ground as she was lifted with the room.

"shit," Tani panicked in her thoughts, she couldn't call for help nor make a signal to the others. Simply put, she was stuck. Well she was until the line cut. What Tani wasn't aware of as she panicked in her mind was the shadowy figure of Zoro come zooming from the side and slicing the lines of the machine hauling the room up. Tani didn't snap back to reality until Zoro looped an arm around her stunned self and dragged her away before the shadow man realised what had happened. 

Zoro was talking, but Tani couldn't read lips very well. Though she did read a couple choice curses. He dragged her over to a small room with an air pocket in it. Luffy and Sanji were already there, their suits removed. Tani and Zoro surfaced, Zoro instantly threw the large barrel off himself with a huff. Tani removed the scorkel and massaged her jaw, that would hurt for a bit. 

"Tani check out this cool loot we've found!" Luffy cheered while shoving a bunch of random items into the girls hands. Broken tea cups to rotten wood stools, the boys had collected many items that wouldn't really be of monetary value (unfortunate news for Nami) but they were interesting treasures non the less. Tani held out her find, the little bell giving an uncanny jingle as she shook it. The boys all looked at her with somewhat confused expressions.

"is that one of your bells?" Sanji asked curiously while pointing at the slightly rusted bell. Tani shook her head. 

"I found this in one of the broken off parts of the ship, it was attached to someones wrist," she pointed at her wrist with demonstration. Luffy grabbed the bell from Tani's hand and shook it rapidly next to his ear, loud and clear for Tani. "I don't get it, does that mean that these bells are just common place? Or... Are there others like me?" Tani pointed at herself in thought. If there were others, then maybe they'd know how to get home? Or could help her understand what was happening.

"can we discuss this later?" Zoro grunted, one of his swords already slipping into his grip. "we've got company," he said with narrowed eyes. 

Before Tani could question it, three shadow figures jumped from the ocean depths, followed by a large monkey looking man that was at least double the girls height. She didn't expect a fight so here she was, weaponless and untrained in the art of anything fighting related... Great. 

Luffy burst into laughter at the sight of the monkey, deciding that instead of fighting he would just have a pleasant conversation with the monkey man. Who wasn't the brightest bulb of the bunch and kinda just rolled with the conversation while Zoro and Sanji silently watched on in confusion. Tani just shook her head.  

Classic Luffy.

...

There are always bigger fish in the sea. A classic proverb meaning that there's always going to be someone better than yourself... Or in this case there was literally a bigger fish in the sea. A massive gaping jaw latched onto the small section of the boat that the straw hat group and monkey men were present. Water filled the room as teeth punctured holes in the walls, floor and roof of the safe haven. The boys had no time to throw their gear back on so with deep breaths they swallowed as much air as their lungs could hold and went under. 

Luffy unfortunately didn't get the chance to grab anyone before the water paralysed his body. So Tani did what she normally did (at this point she might as well be Luffy's designated swimmer). Looping the boys arms around her neck, she attempted to swim out of the creatures mouth. Large, jagged teeth surrounded her in rows of five. Just needed to pass them and they would be out scot free. 

Luffy's hold on her tightened, when she turned to face him she found his cheeks swelling as his hold on his breath dwindled. He mustn't have gotten enough air before the water got to him! What was Tani going to do?! She still had three rows of teeth to clear before they were out. She inhaled through her... The scorkel! 

She plucked the breathing device from her mouth and shoved it into Luffy's, holding her breath as she swam faster to get the hell out of here. 

Two rows left... 

One row left...

They're out! Nothing but the oceans deep blue surrounded the pair. Tani slowly breathed out some bubbles to watch what way the floated. When the danced upwards, she followed shortly after. Her lungs screaming at her for the precious oxygen that she needed so desperately... At least Luffy is holding up. 

The waters surface broke, Tani inhaled the fresh air. She couldn't see Zoro, Sanji or that Monkey guy anywhere. At the time though she only really needed to worry about the giant turtle that just ate that whole ship wreck. 

"Luffy! Tani over here!" Nami shouted from their left, waving her arms to draw their attention. Tani free-styled over to the rope ladder that Usopp and Chopper dropped for them. Throwing Luffy into Usopp before she too climbed the ladder... Well attempted to climb the ladder. A large black clad hand wrapped around her ankle and dragged her back into the water. The surprise meant she didn't have enough time to breath in before her lungs filled with salt water. 

She kicked and flailed in the water with panic, she was so close and now she was going to drown! She could fill the hand of god already grabbing the nape of her neck and dragging her to heaven... No seriously she was being dragged in a direction away from the guy that dragged her here in the first place. 

The utter whiplash Tani received from being thrown out of the water and back onto the Merry's deck left her dazed and confused. A ring of her nakama surrounded her, though she couldn't make out who was who because everything was blurry. Though she could make out Chopper's frantic cries of "call the doctor!". When Tani's brain finally decided to play catch up, she registered that she needed to cough up all the water she breathed in. So she did just that, all the water sprayed into the air and splattered on the ground around her... As well as Usopp's face (who proceeded to whine about it). 

"welcome back Miss bell," Robin smiled sweetly, offering a hand or dozen to help Tani off the ground. 

Tani ended up being tugged towards the infirmary (well the storage room that Chopper used to patch up everyone) and proceeded to do a once over on Tani, ignoring the conflict from outside. From what Tani gathered, Zoro went back for the treasure they found in the wreck because "Luffy would have been upset if we didn't get something from the adventure,". While Sanji ended up being thrown by something, and landed on the Monkey crews boat (which he proceeded to beat up until he was brought back to the Merry). So a regular day for the straw hat pirates. 

The day only got weirder, as the sky darkened. Tani walked onto deck with Chopper, the little reindeer grew nervous and held onto Tani's open hand. The pair walked over to Nami.

"what's up with the weather?" Tani asked drowsily, still tired from the excitement of the day. The navigator sighed, turning to look at them. 

"I don't know, there was no way I could have predicted this," she sounded stumped. Tani pat her on the back with sympathy. "wait a minute... What is that!?" Nami shrieked, pointing towards three massive figures that loomed in the distance. "guys! Positions! We need to move! Right now!" Nami commanded, everyone ran around. Pulling sails, directing the rutter, tying loose knots. Before they knew it, the crew was out of the darkness and under the bright sunny sky. The crew silently glanced at each other, all of them thinking the same thing. 

"what the hell was that all about!" Usopp broke the silence, asking what they were all trying to answer. 

"do you think anybody here knows what the hell that was?!" Nami replied, rubbing her temple soothingly. "now we're stuck here! The log won't set back to whatever island we were going towards before the stupid thing started pointing at the sky," Nami ranted. Honestly she just wanted to find land again and hopefully forget this sky islands thing ever happened. 

"miss navigator, I do believe you'd be happy to see this then," Robin chimed, tossing something at the red head. Nami clapped her hands around the small hour glass like item. It was an eternal pose! Nami looked like she was about to cry with happiness. 

"Robin I could kiss you right now!" Nami squealed happily. Her face shifted back to serious as she began setting course for the island of Jaya. 

...

Tani was flipping through her photos, deciding which ones she wanted to put up over her side of the women's sleeping quarters. She really liked all of them, even her mystery photos. Picking the best four photos, she hung them up over her wall and left the rest in the envelope to be stored away for later. 

The room was starting to look more and more like home every time she visited, from the smell of mandarins that Nami brought in, to the now stocked up shelf of books that Robin brought with her. The place felt lived in, and honestly Tani never wanted to leave. Though that was nothing more than a selfish wish, she had someone to get home to. 

A loud crash from on deck caused the girl to be removed from her thoughts. She jumped to her feet and speed walked towards the sound of the crash, finding a tangled up Luffy. Tani gave a small chuckle before helping the tangled boy out of the rope prison he made. 

"Nami my love!" Sanji's voice cooed, the navigator in question was resting beside her mandarin trees. Sanji twirled around, handing her one of three drinks from the tray in his hand. Nami thanked him with her picture perfect smile. 

"Robin my sweet!" Sanji spun towards the older woman, she was sitting on a chair reading some book about a rainbow mist that seemed super interesting. The cook handed her the second drink on the tray, showering the newest crew member with love and affection as per usual for Sanji. She thanked him politely before turning back to her book. 

"Tani my dearest!" he called out to the girl, she'd just finished freeing Luffy from the ropes before Sanji handed her the largest of the drinks. It was pretty wide with a lot of fresh fruits decorating the creamy top. She gave him a thumbs up and a thank you before her gave her a grin and walked back into the kitchen. Probably to prepare for dinner in a couple hours. 

Tani took the spoon that was in the drink and slowly made her way through the top. She could feel eyes burning into the side of her head, turning her eyes she of course found Luffy staring at her with hungry eyes... Oh right it's Luffy. 

"do you want some?" she offered, Luffy wasted no time before grabbing the spoon from her hand and shoving it in his mouth. Now she needed a new spoon... "uh, you can have the rest then," she said, honestly not really in the mood to get up now that she was sitting on the deck. Luffy gave her a confused look. 

"you sure? I thought you liked all this fruit stuff?" Luffy stated, shoving the spoon in his mouth. Tani stared at the spoons handle that hung out of his mouth. 

"I can't be bothered grabbing a new spoon," she said truthfully. Luffy pulled the spoon out of his mouth and waved it around.

"just use this one then," he said like she was being dumb. She could already feel her cheeks heating up. 

"because you've had it in your mouth, and sharing cutlery is considered gross unless it's family or your partner," Tani explained with an edge to her voice. Didn't Luffy know anything about germs and stuff?

"you had it in your mouth before, so it doesn't matter," he replied, digging the spoon into the cream and holding it out for Tani to take. She leaned away, this is something a couple would do! 

"no thank you," she squeaked. Luffy pouted before shoving the spoon closer. Why was he so persistent to make her eat it?! "I'll just ask Sanji for another drink, you can finish that one," Tani stated. Luffy groaned. 

"you're always sharing your food," Luffy commented, Tani turned to face him at that. "so why is this different?" he asked curiously. 

"it just is," she replied shyly, Luffy pulled a face that screamed 'what does that even mean?' so Tani let out a sigh and explained.

"sharing cutlery is something that married couples or boyfriend and girlfriends do, so it's weird to do it. It's because of all the spit and stuff that's shared on the spoon, it's kinda like kissing and you don't do that unless you're in love," she stated factually. Though this is only stuff she'd seen in the movies. Luffy huffed at her. 

"that's stupid, I don't care about spit or anything so why should you?" he said. Tani blinked at him, of course he wasn't paying attention to the romantic implications of the action. "plus we've shared spit before, like with that breathing thingy you had," he pointed out. Oh! 

"uh... Well that was uh.. Well you see that doesn't count because you were going to drown," she countered. Why were they arguing over sharing a drink? Why was Luffy trying so hard to share it with her. 

"see! So can you just share this with me before it melts?" Luffy asked with that signature grin, holding the spoon out. Tani finally caved in, taking the spoon and shoving the contents in her mouth. Why bother fighting Luffy when he was always going to win.

In the distance the pair failed to notice the rest of the crew watching them with humorous grins.

...

"so how long until we make it to Jaya?" Usopp asked Nami from his fishing spot. Chopper and Luffy were fishing with him, hoping to grab something to go along with dinner. Nami licked her finger and held it in the air, letting out a satisfied hum she replied with "we'll be there by tomorrow afternoon,". 

Tani sat in her usual spot on deck, next to the figure head. In her hand was the bell she found on the sunken ship, her other had a bell of her own. She shook them one at a time. The older bell sounded melancholic and weak, while her bell was lively and full of energy. From what she'd gathered, the bells were almost the same when it came to design, only the colours were off... Does this mean she's not the only one? Could there be others just like her that she doesn't even know of? Do they know how to get home?

"you seem to be lost in thought miss bell, mind telling me what's on your mind?" Robin's soothing voice inquired. Tani looked up at her with a nod. The woman sat beside her gracefully, leaning in her hands with waiting eyes. 

"so I found this bell on the ship wreck," Tani handed the bell to Robin. She shook the bell and was surprised by its silence. "it's a special bell that only I can hear, but that's what's got me so curious. It's not one of my bells," Tani then handed her bell over to Robin. The woman looked between the two and Tani could already see the questions on her mind. But first! 

"actually I needed to give you one," Tani stated, Robin gave a curious blink. The younger girl pointed at the bell in Robin's hand. "a bell so I can find you if we ever get split up," she grinned. She'd need to ask Usopp for more string. 

"that would be lovely," Robin stated serenely. Her gaze moved back to the bells with examining eyes. Something felt so familiar about them. "you say these are special bells, correct?" she asked. Tani nodded with affirmation. Robin studied the bells, maybe she'd seen them in a book once? Another mystery she had to uncover. How exciting. 

"would you prefer a necklace or bracelet?" Tani asked, pulling herself off the ground to grab Usopp. 

"a necklace would be lovely," Robin responded, turning back to the bells in her hands, "would you mind if I held onto these?" she inquired. 

"oh yeah that's fine, if you figure anything out please tell me. Any information that gets me closer to home would be amazing," Tani grinned. Her whole face lighting up in a way that made Robin melt in its radiance. This crew really was a beacon of joy wasn't it? 

Tani walked over to Usopp, leaning against his shoulders. "can I have some string for Robins bell?" she asked. Usopp nodded, too busy concentrating on his fishing to really pay attention to her. She fished the string out of his bag, her fingers gracing past the gem cluster Luffy had discovered all the way in Alabasta... Wonder what Usopp is gonna do with it. 

String in hand, Tani began cutting, sliding and tying the necklace into existence. Before long she was slipping the item onto Robins neck and heading towards the back of the ship for some training with Zoro. 

There she found Zoro swinging around a ridiculously large amount of weights, while Chopper was sitting close by when some plants out to dry. 

"hey Zoro, mind if we train together?" Tani asked, already slipping off her windbreaker. The swordsman gave a smirk before dropping the weights. 

"sure, only this time we aren't using those hell shoes," he clarified. Tani gave a snicker. 

"why not? Four sword style too much for you to handle?" she joked, Zoro growled at her with a throaty noise that sounded almost inhuman. Tani ignored it, because it's Zoro of course he's gonna be an animal about this. 

"do you want me to train you or not?" he huffed, Tani nodded. Zoro continued, "your hand to hand combat is lacking, so we can work on that for now," he stated, removing his sheathed swords from his waist and placing them against the railing with the amount of care a mother would with her new born baby. 

"alright, show me how you hold your fists," Zoro instructed. Tani balled her fists and showed Zoro. He gave a hum of approval. Thank you action movies! 

"now show me your starting stance," he moved on. Tani took a stance, though she felt super awkward doing so. Zoro shook his head, he stood beside her and stood in a stance. "like this," he waited for her to copy him. Calling out a "legs apart," or "shoulders down," until he was satisfied with her positioning. 

"now we'll practice your defense, you held out for a while when Luffy was being a complete moron. But there's always room to improve," he sounded like a mentor, who would have thought Zoro would be the caring type... Actually no we can all totally believe that Zoro would be the caring type.

"I'll throw some punches and you need to deflect or counter them," he was patient with his instructions. Tani readied herself for the first hit. In a typical straw hat fashion, didn't hold back. Tani could already feel her forearms stinging, and though she didn't land a single hit on the guy. He was visibly proud of her progress, even giving her hair a ruffle when they had to finish up for dinner.  

Dinner as always was a chaotic event. Luffy's limbs tangled with everyone else's, food was snatched, drinks were spilt, Chopper started choking on his food, it was a riot of straw hat crew proportions. Tani didn't miss when Luffy would 'accidently' drop food pieces on her plate. She just smiled and continued eating whatever showed up on her plate, Sanji's cooking never failing to amaze her. 

Tani opted to wash the dishes after dinner, much to Sanji's protests. He didn't believe her when she said she enjoyed washing dishes.

"a lady as dear as you, shouldn't be washing so many dishes," Sanji protested. Tani gave him an eye roll and continued scrubbing away at the many plates that Luffy had accumulated. Sanji let out a sigh of defeat, at least he had a lovely womans company rather than that brute of a swords man. 

"... So why are you so against women in the kitchen? Back home it's almost expected that the woman of that house does all the cooking and cleaning," Tani asked curiously. That was something about Sanji that always seemed to make her curious. The blonde chef thought for a moment before letting out a hearty sigh. 

"it's a man's duty to protect and care for the women in their lives, so many of them are so fragile..." Sanji stated solemnly, something about his demeanor changed. Like old memories better left unsaid. Tani needed to lighten the mood.

"well there are plenty of women that can hold their own here. Just look at Nami and Robin, Nami has saved our lives more times than I can count, and Robin has that cool arm devil fruit!" Tani hyped up her crew with no doubt in her thoughts. Sanji sighed while taking the clean dish from Tani to dry it. 

"I don't know, it's like I can't bring myself to bring harm to such delicate looking beauties," he stated bluntly. Tani let out a sigh of defeat. No point in changing his fundamental values... Well it'll take time but what can you do. 

"if it makes you feel better, I appreciate everything you do for me. Being so weak in a world I have known for less than a year is really scary. It's nice to know that I'm always being cared for," she smiled. A rosy red tint crossed the sheepish man's face as he rubbed the back of his neck.  

"oh Tani my dear you're too kind!" his arms were waving around as he cooed and swooned over her declaration. That's the Sanji she knows. She flicked some of the dirty soap water at him, which resulted in an all out water fight. Both of them were wet by the end of the playful fight, but happy none the less. 

Tani decided to get changed for her night watch with Usopp. The sniper had something he wanted to show her so that was exciting. When Tani entered the women's quarters, a wave of strong perfume smacked her right in the face. She chocked on her breath, holding her nose as her eyes watered from the strength. Nami could be heard coughing in the room as well. 

"Tani?" cough cough, "Tani is that you? I need some help moving my maps before the smell sticks to them," Nami chocked out, throwing a stack of pages at the girl. Tani caught them (barely) and proceeded to run them out of the room while Nami brought out more and more stacks. 

Once the room was cleared and both girls were out of breath, Nami smiled with relief and thanked Tani for her help. 

"you have no idea how much these maps will be worth once I'm done with them," Nami sighed wishfully. Her cocoa brown eyes glimmering in the candle light. "I'll be rolling in berri's,". Tani snickered.

"you sure love your money, no wonder your so good with the budgeting. How you manage to swindle so much meat for the captain is insane!" Tani praised. Nami rested her elbow on the dark skinned girls shoulder. 

"I'll tell you a secret, a women's secret," the red head smirked, leaning in. "it's all in the presentation," she informed. Presentation? Tani then looked at the way Nami held herself, chest very prominent, hips slightly tilted up, her face was naturally beautiful with her scattered freckles and bright red hair. She was the perfect woman! "you should try it on the boys around here, I'll bet that they would do anything for you if you figure out their weakness," she grinned. Such a sneaky girl, but that's Nami for ya. We wouldn't have her any other way. 

Tani thanked Nami for her advice, powered through the women's room to grab a new set of clothes and made her way to the crows nest for a night of watch with Usopp. 

"pwah what is that smell?!" Usopp covered his long nose as Tani climbed over the rim of the nest. Tani rolled her eyes. 

"Nami accidentally knocked over that really strong perfume she got from Alabasta and it spilled everywhere," Tani explained. Sitting beside Usopp both a thunk. The long nosed man huffed at her. 

"the enemy will smell you a mile away!" he teased, nudging her with his elbow. She snickered and nudged back. The pair falling into a comfortable silence. 

"oh I almost forgot," Usopp clicked his fingers and turned to dig through his bag. Tani peeked over his shoulder and found him pulling out two round orbs with brown string and bells attached to them. "tadaa! Say hello your Usopp exclusive yo-yo special!" he presented the weapons to Tani, her eyes aglow as she stared at the ocean green yo-yo's. She now recognized the material as the cluster of gems she'd found with Luffy. How did he make these so fast?!

"they're beautiful! Thank you Usopp!" Tani squealed happily, throwing herself at Usopp for a big hug. The sniper stammered but regained his cool and began explaining the general gist of the newly acquired weapons.

"the gem stone was a tough kind that I've never seen before, it works much better as a weapon than as some boring old jewellery. These yo-yo's will hit much harder, move faster and look way cooler than your old ones," he gloated and praised his work. Tani didn't blame him, they looked amazing! 

"thank you so much Usopp! How can I repay you?" Tani couldn't just let him give her something and not have her return the favour! She messed around with the new yo-yo's, trying to get a feel for them. They were slightly heavier, but the smoothness of the material made them fly swiftly through the air. God, Usopp was talented. The sniper gave a snicker.

"more of those chips you keep bringing, I want the biggest bag you can find," he requested. Tani winked at him and continued messing around with the yo-yo's. 

...

A small sniffle brought Tani's attention away from her post, Usopp was taking a small nap so she had to remain as vigilant as possible. Tani leaned over the crows nest to find a big pink hat on the main deck. What was Chopper doing up so late at night? Tani decided to check on him. 

"hey Chopper?" she said while climbing down the ladder, startling the little reindeer. 

"ta-Tani? Oh it's you," he sighed with relief. Tani bobbed down to his height, eyes full of concern. 

"is everything alright? You look like you've been crying," she asked with concern. The doctors eyes were red and the tears that stained his fur being a dead give away. He pulled his hat over his head. 

"I'm just fine, don't worry about me you jerk," he did a little dance which removed all malice the words would have had. Tani snickered. 

"well if you need any company, you can come up with me for the rest of my watch. Usopp is sleeping and it's super boring," she suggested. Chopper gave a nod, so Tani lowered herself so Chopper could climb onto her shoulders. Together they ascended the rope ladder and sat in the nest for the remainder of the watch. The pair of them falling asleep on Usopp's side.


	21. A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes! So Clearly Bellamy Has No Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a slightly longer chapter for you all today! I've worked as hard as I can with this one so I really hope you all enjoy. We've pretty much made it to my favourite arc in one piece (skypiea Zoro is so pretty :'3) so I'm gonna have a blast writing these next few chapters! Enjoy the chapter and thank you so much for reading!!!

"Nami! I see it!" Tani cheered from the crows nest. It was a sunny, early afternoon, the wind was warm and the clouds were lacking. Tani had a packet or gummy bears beside her, surprised that Luffy hadn't noticed the snack. An island had just come into view, just the place they all wanted to find. 

Jaya 

Nami let out an excited whoop of joy, excited to finally have land in sight. It only took the Merry an hour or so to make it into the dock of the small town. A place called Mock town if the massive sign was an indication of the places name. Luffy wanted to explore the town before they'd even landed, rocketing himself onto the dock with the widest grin Tani had seen in ages. Nami was already tired of his shenanigans and decided to appoint Tani to Luffy duty, while Zoro had to tag along for moral support. 

"oh and before you guys run off," Nami started. All eyes on her, her gaze hardened. "no fighting at all, I mean it. We don't want to start trouble," she said with dead seriousness. "Sanji, Usopp and I will be gathering supplies, Chopper and Robin are on ship watch." Nami declared. Robin gave her that signature smile. 

"perhaps Mr doctor and I could sort through all the treasure that Mr swordsman brought back," she suggested. Nami clapped her hands together and nodded. 

"wonderful idea Robin, Chopper knows where the treasure is stored so just ask him to put any of it away," Nami stated. Luffy was bouncing on his feet, ready to make a run for it once Nami gave the word. "well, aren't you gonna go explore? You have until sundown," she declared. Luffy was off the ship before the final word left her mouth.

...

The trio had been walking through the streets for about twenty minutes before the first sounds of conflict hit their collective ears. Understandably so, as this was was a lawless town. Tani already had her hands in her pockets, new strings attached to her pointer fingers perfectly. The sound of a gun shot rings through the air, she freezes for a moment. The air around the town goes static before everything resumes as usual. 

Luffy can see the discomfort on his nakama's face, so he loops his arm through hers. She instantly calms down, embracing the contact with a relaxes smile. 

"hey I wanna look in that place," Luffy grins, pointing at the entrance to what looked like a hotel or inn? Tani doesn't know the difference. Zoro and Tani followed him. They pushed open the doors to find a rather dodgy looking place. Smoke filled air, cut throat pirates roaming the main lobby, there was blood on the wooden floor... Swell. 

Luffy trotted around while Tani hung back to watch from afar, Zoro stood beside her. The pair know that Luffy can hold his own in a fight so there's no point in guarding him. Luffy looked excited, pointing at everything that peaked his interest and just acting like his Luffy self. 

The door beside Tani and Zoro opened, all sound from the room suddenly vanished (excluding Luffy and his excited exclamations of "oh what's this?"). The mood soured and the atmosphere grew thick as lard. Tani's throat tightened as she watched some man with bluey white hair and purple science goggles (you know the kind schools make you wear before you do an experiment) and this white pimp coat that wouldn't have looked out of place on Crocodile. 

People's gazes avoided this new man and his entourage, he clearly held power here. So when Luffy didn't stop to acknowledge this guy, well he wasn't very pleased.

"what kind of low life pond scum has the ocean washed up here?" he said with a snort. Luffy paused in his excited ramblings and stared dumbly at the guy. Promptly ignoring the guy and turning back to Tani and Zoro, pointing a thumb in the guys direction.

"who's this guy?" Luffy asked. The guy beside him clenched his teeth together with annoyance. 

"you low lives aren't even worth my time," the man spat, pulling out a couple golden coins and tossing them on the floor. "here, get yourselves some better clothes you useless filth," he snickered to himself before walking away. Two women draped over his shoulders as passed the trio. 

Tani grabbed the coins for Nami, no point in leaving them behind. Luffy and Zoro exited the premises, before Tani could leave the room she heard the 'lowlife' guy call out to her. 

"you know an exotic little thing like you shouldn't be hanging around losers like them," he smirked. The women around him giggled and leaned their heavy cleavage all over him. Tani felt her face heat up with a mix of anger and disgust. 

"you're right, I shouldn't hang out with losers. That's why I'm on their crew and not yours," Tani clapped back. The coins she collected finding their way into her hands again. She tossed then at his feet and gave a charming grin. "how about you buy yourself a personality and manners. Adios," she waved with her fingers and pushed out the door. Luffy and Zoro looked at her as she stormed past and growled. 

Luffy and Zoro caught up with the angered girl. Luffy and Zoro remained silent, knowing that if she wanted to speak she would. Tani was letting her feelings bubble under the skin before finally she burst. 

"ugh! He called me 'exotic'! Like what's that supposed to mean? Haven't seen a black girl or something? The nerve!" she ranted, her arms being thrown with every statement. Luffy frowned, his gaze turning towards a bar just up ahead. 

"how about we get something to eat? That always cheers me up when I'm mad," Luffy suggested. Honestly a drink of something fizzy was definitely in order, Tani nodded. Luffy looked his arms around Zoro and Tani, dragging them to the alluring aroma of what smelt like cherry pie.

The bar itself looked cozy by pirate standards, the man running the place still had most of his teeth and both his eyes so that was relaxing for Tani. 

Luffy wanted to time running to the bar and demanding a cherry pie or dozen. The bartender complied and handed him the last couple of pies they still had. Apparently the large man with the long, greasy black hair beside Luffy had eaten over half their supply that day. Tani silently prayed for his crew mates. 

Luffy ate just as fast as the man beside him. The pair of them reaching over each other to snag more pies from one another. Tani and Zoro looked on in disgusted interest, it was like a horrible car accident that you just couldn't look away from. Finally there was one pie left, both hands made a grab for it. Both men grabbing it, yanking it back and forth until the bigger man snatched it and shoved the whole thing in his mouth. Luffy sulked about it before he got mad and started yelling at the guy, who yelled back. It was like watching two Luffy's interact, only one was a large man that looked like he could crush you with one belly flop. 

The door to the bar opened, Tani turned her eyes to find a familiar red head walk through the door. She gave Tani and Zoro a pleased wave, walking over to them and looking at the train wreck that was going on. 

"didn't I tell you guys not to fight?" she groaned. Massaging her temple. Zoro shrugged. The women of the crew could tell he was amused by this. Nami sighed, she marched over to the bar and clamped her fingers over one of Luffy's ears and dragged him away kicking and whining. The man at the bar looked at the small crew and gave a rather unique laugh. He dropped a couple coins on the counter and left the bar without sparing the straw hats a glance. Tani felt a chill crawl up her spine, something felt off about that guy. 

"so are we gonna eat now or what?" Luffy asked. Nami and Tani thwacked him on the head. 

"YOU ALREADY ATE!" The women shouted in sync. Zoro let out a snort of a laugh before responding himself. Luffy sulked to himself. Everything felt normal again. 

That is until the bar doors burst open again... 

The sound of chatter and laughter within the bar died out, a kin to the hotel lobby from moments ago. Tani already felt the air grow static as gazes averted the newcomers. 

In walked a blonde man with a dark tan and hyena like grin, pink shirt contrasting the blue coat that hung off his shoulders. Honestly he didn't seem that special in comparison to the other pirates Tani had seen wandering around mock town. Though that smile was unnerving.

Nami huffed and turned her attention back to Tani, a new excitement glittered in her warm brown eyes. 

"oh check this out," she spoke, Tani turned her attention to the aged sheet of paper in the red heads hand. "Robin was looking through all the treasure that Zoro brought back with him and she found this in a waterproof chest. It's a map of the sky island," Nami said with barely bottled excitement. 

"does it say anything about how to get up there? Because unless there are aeroplanes, which I know isn't a thing here. We are pretty much stuck," Tani asked with a thoughtful face. Nami gave her a grin, not her regular looking one that always had some ulterior motive behind it, but a genuine one. 

"I decided to start asking around, there's bound to be someone that knows about the island that's right above them," Nami stated confidently. The pair of women walked to the bar together, ignoring the conversation that the hyena guy was having with Luffy. Nami was dead set on discovering more about the world around her, and Tani was just curious as to how the hell they were going to get into the sky. 

"excuse me sir," Nami waved the bar tended over, who had just handed Luffy a glass of juice. Which the hyena man laughed about and promptly tipped all over Luffy's head. Tani rolled her eyes, knowing Luffy could handle himself in a fight but she still felt a tinge of annoyance. Tani turned back to Nami. "I was wondering if you had any information about the sky island? The one on this map," she asked, pointing at the map in her hands. 

The bar fell silent, should a pin clatter on the floor it would be as loud as an explosion. The tension from before tripled to the point of suffocation, all eyes were on Nami and the rest of the straw hat crew. The hyena man scowled, the glass that he emptied on top of Luffy's head was shattered in his grasp. What was his problem? 

"the sky island?" he chuckled darkly. "did you say the sky islands?" more laughter, growing more and more hysterical by the second. The rest of his crew started laughing with him. Zoro and Luffy moved towards the navigator, forming a loose barrier around her should this get ugly. 

"guess you losers really aren't worthy of the new era of pirates," hyena guy chuckled loudly before his face dropped into a seriously pissed off expression. The glass shards still in his balled hand, he reared back and threw his arm towards Luffy. 

Luffy didn't react at all, he simply took the hit. The man decked him in the face and sent him flying into a window, which shattered upon Luffy smashing into it. Tani let out an angered shout, her weapons already spinning. Before she had the chance to do anything, Zoro grabbed her arm and shook his head. Tani looked up at him quizzically, the sound of glass sprinkling the wooden floor drew her attention to the now bleeding captain. 

"Nami said... D-don't fight ba-ck," Luffy coughed, bloody cuts sprinkled his face and arms. His cheek already turned that ugly brown colour, signalling a bruise would form. Tani sighed and pocketed her yo-yo's, Nami was in total shock at the boys inaction. 

"wait luff-" Nami began, but a single look from Luffy, shut her up really fast. This was an act of pride? Boys really could be dumb, but as a straw hat pirate that kinda came with the branding. So here they were, four straw hats watching and waiting to get totally pummeled by these self proclaimed "new era pirates". 

A pirate punched Zoro hard in the gut, the swordsman took it like a champion. He didn't make a sound, neither did Luffy. The two of them were kicked, punched, tossed, pushed and humiliated by the lot of them. 

When wandering hands and sleazy comments were tossed at Nami and Tani, that's when the girls finally snapped. The pair of them grabbed the boys from the pirates and dragged them towards the entrance. After leaving the bar, the hyena man and a couple of his goons followed behind. Snickering and spitting at the straw hats. Tani and Nami death glared them. 

"you guys are so pathetic! you couldn't even defend yourselves?" he laughed like it was the joke of the century. "remember this, and remember it well." the man started. 

"real pirates don't hunt mythical bullshit like sky islands or one piece. Learn it now and maybe you'll be ready to actually take on the likes of me. Bellamy of the hyena pirates," Bellamy declared. OF COURSE HE WAS ON A CREW CALLED THE HYENA PIRATES! Tani almost wanted to scream with laughter. One of the goons came out from behind Bellamy and held up a wanted poster of the man. 

"our captain has a bounty of 55 million berri, you're all worth less then the dirt beneath his feet," the random guy snickered. Many joined him in praising the captain. Who revelled in their praise. 

The man in white from before somehow showed his ugly mug and pointed Tani out. Bellamy and the others all turned their eyes to her. She felt her throat close up, this brought back too many memories... 

Luffy's grip on her shoulder tightened, a comfort that Tani didn't know she needed. She turned her gaze back at the pirates that looked down on her. She wasn't weak, not anymore. 

The pirates sent ridicule at them for a couple more agonising moments before growing bored and turning back to the bar for some celebratory drinks. The straw hats remained frozen... 

"zehahaha, you did the right thing straw hat brat! "

A laugh drew their attention to the man from before. He was sitting on a blue cloth, drinking from a bottle of something expensive. His gaze on the younger pirates. 

"one piece exists, and only the dreamers will find it," he declared before laughing again. "those who don't put in the effort, aren't worth raising a finger at," his voice bellowed.

Nami turned away from the man and dragged Zoro with her, Tani's gaze lingered on them and for a bit longer before she too turned away. The laugh replaying in her mind.

...

Walking back to the Merry was awkward. Nami was annoyed with the boys, hell Tani was just as annoyed! They could have taken everyone in that bar, Luffy on his own would have been enough! 

Once they made it back to the ship, Chopper went crazy on the medical attention. Luffy and Zoro weren't seen for the next hour, though the scolding they received from Chopper could be heard all over the ship. Robin pulled everyone onto the deck to share some information she gathered. 

"it appears that this isn't the only side of the island with life," she started, pulling out a map of the island. She pointed towards the other side of the island. "there's a man by the name of Mont Blanc Cricket, apparently he's got information that could prove useful for our endeavours," she spoke with a relaxed tone. The crew unanimously agreed to sail the ship to the other side of the island, after all who wanted to stay in this shit show town anyway. 

Nami got the ship sailing with Sanji and Usopp's help, since Chopper wanted Luffy and Zoro to rest. Usopp showed Tani how to tie a knot when pulling up the sails, so she could help out more with sail preparations. Tani decided to sit in her favourite spot on the ship. Her head phones playing some sweet sounds from home. She was so warped into her own little world that she didn't notice when Luffy sat down on the mast head, practically beside her. 

The dark skinned girl closed her eyes and laid back onto the deck. Her long, wavy hair flicked out so she wouldn't accidently pull on it if she do much as moved. Her mind drifted back and forth between listening to her music and thinking back on the events of the day. Always a brilliant idea after a bit so great day now isn't it?

Memories resurfaced, this time Luffy didn't have a secure hold on her. Hell she had nobody, she was alone. Small green eyes staring at the shadowy figures that clouded her thoughts. Insults, attacks, mockery, the works. She'd had this dream before, many times in fact. Though not since she'd joined the straw hats... Maybe it was what that man said today? Exotic. The word felt dirty to her now. She wanted out, she wanted her nakama back! Not this negative shi-

*Poke*

Tani scrunched her nose, opening her eyes to see Luffy's stretched arm retracting back to his body. A playful grin played at the tips of Tani's smile, she was in need of a distraction from her negative thoughts. He smiled back at her, his arms stretching out to poke her more. She laughed and rolled to her feet, standing up to lean back on the figure head. Luffy leaned into her, back to back. The pair were content. 

"what were you dreaming bout?" Luffy asked curiously, though his tons suggested that it didn't matter if she answered or not. Tani let out a sigh, leaning further into his warmth. 

"it's dumb stuff, don't worry about it," she waved off. Luffy huffed. 

"someone told me that when things make you upset, you talk about them with nakama," he stated, oh here we go again. "I'm your nakama, and you're sad. Why are you sad? Should I ask Sanji to make something to eat? Now I'm hungry," Luffy rambled. Tani snickered, her mood already lightening. Luffy considered that a victory. 

"it's nothing important, just something one of the pirates said.  Don't wo-"

"the one that asked you to join his crew because you're a pretty girl?" Luffy asked shamelessly. Tani chocked on the air she was breathing in, wow he was as blunt as ever! He continued. "he was super weird, why would you want someone on your crew just because they're pretty? That's dumb," Luffy questioned. Tani let out a snicker. 

"well when you're a 5'4" girl with brown skin and an hour glass figure, many people tend to look at just the physical values," Tani explained. Luffy blew a raspberry at that. 

"but you are way better than all that boring stuff. You can fight, and have cool magic powers, and you're really cool because you bring us all snacks and stuff," he listened. Tani felt herself grow a bit flustered at that. "the best thing about you is you're my nakama!" he said with a joy in his tone that felt completely at peace. Tani pulled her cap down over her eyes and smiled like she was seven again.

"it sure is Luffy,"

...

After a run in with yet another monkey pirate crew (how many could there possibly be?) but his annoying singing was silenced pretty quickly. The straw hat crew made it to the other side of the island, finding a deceptively large house which turned out to be a wooden cut out that covered a small cottage looking place. The crew explored the house, finding nobody inside. 

"oh hey! I haven't seen this story in ages," Sanji called out, holding a largish book that looked worn. Nakama gathered around Sanji to examine the book. 

"Noland the liar?" Usopp questioned. Looks like somebody has competition for that liar role. "never heard of it," he concluded. 

"it's a popular story in the North Blue, my mother would read it to me all the time when I was a kid," Sanji stated with a nostalgic smile. 

Tani grabbed the book and opened to the first page. Inside was a picture per page and a couple lines of text.

"it's just like a fairy tale book, my mum would read these to me as a kid too," Tani grinned, turning her attention back to the book to read out the tale. 

"In a certain country in the northern seas, there was a man named Mont Blanc Noland." Tani started, sitting on the table outside while the others crowded around her. She flipped the page. 

"Noland the Explorer's stories were always grand adventures that sounded like lies. But the people of the village could never tell if they were true or not." she continued. A couple eyes drifted to Usopp, who huffed at them. The next page. 

"One time, Noland went on an expedition, and came back to report to the king. "I saw a mountain of gold on an island across the great seas."," Tani put on a little voice for Noland, attempting to mimic the voice of Pinocchio from the Disney movie. Luffy, Usopp and Chopper seemed to enjoy it. Page flip. 

"To see for himself, the brave king took two thousand warriors and crossed the great seas in his ship.  
He fought powerful storms and huge sea monsters." she made hand actions and grand gestures. The crew all smiled with enjoyment, it felt like a show. The next page. 

"Finally, the king, Noland, and one hundred soldiers landed on the island. But what they found there was nothing but jungle. Noland was sentenced to death for his lies." the big reveal had finally been played. Another page flip. 

"These were his last words.  
"That's it! The mountain of gold sank into the ocean!!!" The king and the others were shocked." Tani declared Noland's final words with a last ditch effort tone. The final page. 

"Nobody believed Noland anymore, but he never stopped lying until he was dead." thus the fable had been complete. Tani clapped the book together. "well that's not how the "don't lie" fairy tale ended where I live," Tani claimed, that was a pretty grim ending.

The sound of something breaking the surface of the ocean caused the crew to quickly drop everything and investigate. It was a hazelnut? Like a big hazel nut the size of someone's head was bobbing on the sur- no wait that's someone's hair. A man with aged features tread the shallows of the water. Looking up at the young teens and adults with a deadpan stare. 

"what are you kids doing outside my house?" he sounded tired and breathless, probably from the long dive he'd done. Honestly he must have been down there for over five minutes! 

"you must be Cricket then?" Robin asked, stepping forward. The man nodded, hauling himself out of the water with a pained groan. Chopper's ears stood up as he trotted towards Cricket. Letting out a worried gasp as he noticed the bruising on Cricket's ribs. Going heavy point, the reindeer doctor got straight to work, ignoring the protests Cricket made. Chopper was stubborn when it came to his practice. Cricket didn't stand a chance. 

"hey hazelnut Gramps," Luffy questioned. Cricket lifted his head with obvious annoyance in his gaze but softened at the sight of Luffy's excitement. "we wanna go to the sky island, and Robin said you know how so can you get us up there?" Luffy grinned. Cricket lessened his hardened features, a spark glittering within his eyes. 

"the sky islands you say? Those old myths?" he let out a hearty laugh, one that lacked any malice. "how romantic, pursuing a dream that might only be legend?" he said with a hint of dreamy. Luffy gave a nod of affirmation. 

"well theoretically, the only way to get to the sky islands would be through the knock up stream," Cricket stated, pointing towards a spot in the ocean though when the straw hats turned to look they only saw empty space and two oddly familiar boats. Are those those monkey crews again? Oh boy. 

Cricket had a grin as the ships ported beside the Going Merry. The two captain's rushing over to Crickets side with worry in their tones. 

"leader leader! Look out! Those straw hat menaces are-"

"they attacked my whole crew within minutes! They're here on your-"

"and and-"

"calm down you lot," Cricket said, patting both their shoulders with a fatherly gentleness. "these youngsters seem just fine, leave then be," he commanded. The two monkey captain's turned to look at the straw hats with a level of concern, though one look at Luffy seemed to melt away all their fears. Captain was a natural at friend making. 

"oh leader sir," Masira (he was the one in the orange if Tani's memories served her correct) beckoned. Cricket turned to face him. "how did today's dive go? Find anything?" he asked. 

"yes yes! How was the dive? You didn't over exert yourself did you?" Shoujou asked. Cricket let out a huffed laugh. Chopper gave him a glare. 

"don't even think about moving, you hear me?" the tiny doctor puffed. Cricket sat down at the picnic table outside, noticing the book the straw hats were reading before he resurfaced. Mixed emotions washed over his features. 

"something on your mind Mr Cricket?" Robin inquired, sitting opposite him with her hands resting under her chin. He gave her a shake of the head before explaining. The crew all sat around the table to listen to his tale. 

"for 24 years now, I've been diving deep into the ocean in search of the city of gold," he stated. Luffy, Usopp and Chopper all glowed with awe. "destiny brought me to this island, and I plan on finding that city. Not to clear his name... But to fulfil my dream, no matter who laughs. There's a romance to it, don't you think?" he concluded. Tani clicked her fingers. 

"how did I not connect the dots sooner! Same last name, same hazelnut thingy on your heads! You're Noland's relative," she questioned, pointing at Cricket. 

"kids right, the blasted man caused nothing but trouble for the whole family bloodline after that stunt he pulled," Cricket said with an undertone of annoyance. "everyone of us got called liars, so we all left. Searching for the city of gold, but never succeeding," he sighed. 

Luffy was balancing on his feet atop the table, clearly done with this conversation. When the speaking stopped, he interjected. 

"so how do we get up there?" he asked. Cricket gave a chuckle. 

"really going through with it aren't ya? Well you're going to need a south bird first, they're head only points south," he explained. "that's the direction you'll be wanting to go, and thanks to compasses being useless in this god damn sea. That's the only way to guarantee you'll go in the right direction," 

"so find the bird, find the sky islands!" Luffy affirmed with a fist to the palm. Cricket nodded with a smile. He pointed towards the dense forest just behind them. 

"you'll find them in there, good luck. The buggers are a pain to catch," he wished them good luck. Before they made to leave, Nami and Usopp asked a couple more questions. 

"how much will this cost us?" Nami asked with suspicion. Cricket shook a hand at her. 

"not a berri, just the romance of this adventure is enough for this man," he answered. 

"what are you going to do to Merry?" Usopp asked defensively. Cricket pointed to the monkey duo and their crews already working on the Merry.

"just a couple of add one that can be removed later, you'll need them to ride the knock up stream," he answered clearly. Usopp nodded, a nervous glance at Merry. 

"come on! Let's find that bird!" Luffy demanded. Everyone called back in affirmation. The hunt for the bird began!

...

This isn't what the straw hats were expecting to see when they returned with the asshole of a south bird. 

Cricket and the monkey crews... All of them beaten and bloodied. Cricket looked destroyed. 

"hazelnut Gramps!" Luffy cried as he ran over to the down man. Tani grabbed Chopper and rolled over to them. Her skates being the fastest way to travel. "what happened?!" Luffy asked quickly. Cricket coughed harshly. 

"they... They took-" he coughed up blood laced spit. "the gold, my gold... My treasure," he sounded so broken, Tani almost wanted to cry. Luffy's entire vibe spiked. He wasn't the jovial boy that was gushing about beetles just a moment ago. He was in "let's hunt down the big boss" mode. 

"who?" he asked darkly, the setting sun really adding to the atmosphere. Cricket didn't get to answer before Zoro snarled demonically, his gaze on what everyone had turned their eyes towards. 

"Bellamy," Nami scowled through clenched teeth. Sanji and Usopp rested their hands on her shaking shoulders. Tani stated at Luffy, his eyes hardened as he turned back to the forest... Oh no he wasn't! 

"I'm going with you," Tani declared. Already tightening the laces on her skates. Nami snapped her head at the two of them. 

"you're what!?" she asked, though she already knew the answer. "you can't be serious! We don't have-"

"he hurt hazelnut Gramps! Stole his treasure! I'm getting it back," Luffy declared. The stubborn kid wouldn't ever budge. He turned to Tani, who was already lowering herself to the ground. He wrapped his legs around her waist, her arms locked around them. 

"we'll be back by sunrise," Tani promised. Zoro and Sanji promised to defend the camp if anyone came back to attack. Tani clicked her heels together before taking off towards the other side of the island. 

The ride was silent, with Luffy's angered breathing being the most deafening noise. Tani wanted to scream, she wanted to throw a punch at that bastards face! This anger furled her to go faster. 

"I don't want you to do anything," Luffy said with authority. Tani understood, that doesn't mean she was happy about it. The sounds of drunken laughter could be heard in the distance. They were getting close. "I don't want you getting hurt," Luffy clarified. Tani nodded, speeding up. 

The pair of them stopped behind a building. Tani let Luffy get off her back, but before he ran off, she grabbed his arm and held it. Determination in her eyes. 

"if I see that white haired bastard, can I punch him in the face?" she asked. Luffy gave a soft smile and nodded. Tani smiled back, her hand grabbing at the bell around his neck and giving it a quick shake. Luffy looked at the action and clasped her hand in his. She gave him a sheepish nod and let go. The bell letting out a healthy jingle as she dropped it. 

"good luck Luffy," Tani wished. Luffy smiled that bright grin that he only reserved for his nakama. Then rocketed himself to the top of the roof. Tani snuck towards the main street, Bellamy was the kind of dickweed that would wanna make a big deal out of this fight. Tani pulled her hat down to shield her face from any observation. 

"BELLAMY!"

Heads turned to face Luffy, the boy stood tall on the rooftop. His expression making Tani's spine shiver. She pushed through the gathering crowd, she wanted a front row seat for this. 

"oh look it's straw hat Luffy~" some men sang out mockingly. "the little runt with a bounty of 100,000,000 berri~" they teased. They must have been rock off their knockers, because Luffy only had a bounty of 30,000,000. Luffy didn't seem phased, he just stood his ground and waited for Bellamy. 

The smiling blonde pushed himself out the door of a bar. His expression was cocky and had this snark to it that made Tani's blood bubble with rage. This wasn't her fight, she had someone else to deal with should his ugly little face show up among the crowd. 

"give back the gold you stole!" Luffy demanded. Silence reigned over them all...

Laughter... They all snickered, chuckled, spat and practically pissed themselves with laughter at the demands of her captain. It made Tani sick to her stomach that such disrespect could be tossed so easily at Luffy. He's show them, all of them! 

"now why-" Bellamy let out a hyenas cackle, "why would I ever do that, runt?" he wiped a tear from his humoured eyes. Luffy didn't falter at all. Luffy stared him down like weakling he was, which didn't sit well with Bellamy at all. The man scowled, before cackling again. 

"I'm a man worth 55,000,000! You and those little crew mates of yours are nothing! You hear me! The gold is mine, and you're boring me," Bellamy snarled, his voice going that deranged tone that someone would use when trying to sound crazy. 

"hahaa! Bellamy is gonna wipe the floor with you, straw runt!" called out a drunken man. Then another, and another, until a whole choir of drunken pirates chanted for Bellamy. Tani remained still and quiet, observing Bellamy and his next move. 

The man crouched to the ground, his legs rather than bending like regular bones, shifted into a grey colour and twirled around like a slinky. Great! A devil fruit. Bellamy launched himself at the roof top Luffy was standing on, bursting right through the flooring that Luffy had. Sending her captain tumbling, though Luffy only had to flick out his arm and swing to safety. 

Bellamy was springing off of every surface his legs landed on. Bouncing around like a pinball in an arcade machine. The only indication that he was there being the blurs of pink and silver. Tani felt dizzy just watching. A couple more roof tops were destroyed before Luffy landed on the streets, his straw hat covering his eyes from the world. Bellamy shit talked Luffy, his range of bounce closing in on the "weakling". Luffy's shoulder fidgeted, without a seconds notice...

SLAM! 

The sickening crack of wood splintering under the pressure of something being launched into it. The dust from the dirt underneath the wooden boards cleared. Revealing Luffy, who was dusting himself off and not batting an eye at the one hit KOed man that he just took out. He instead walked over to the white haired man (oh that's where he was!) and demanded the gold again. The white haired guy only snorted.

"come on Bellamy, the guns over you can get up now..."

Silence

"this isn't funny anymore Bellamy, take out this weakling!" he cried angrily. 

Still silent

"Bella-"

THWACK! 

Tani's fist collided with his face, sending him backwards. It was no one hit Smack down, but it made her feel so much better. He held his cheek and widened his eyes. Oh nice she broke his dumb looking science goggles. 

"gruh-gruh-grab the gold!" he shrieked. A pack of women scattered around to find the gold. Luffy stood beside Tani, the pair didn't look at each other but they didn't really need to. They knew they'd won this fight, their pride for one another was clear to them. 

Two women practically tossed the aged cloth with a heap of gold at the duo. Luffy caught it with ease. Tani handed him her bag so he wouldn't have to carry the gold as is. 

"it's really true then... Your bounties are real!" a man wallowed fearfully... Wait bounties? As in plural? As in multiple bounties? She turned to face the man, looking as intimidating as she could. The man cowered and tossed the pages at her. What she was made her eyes bug out. 

"Monkey D Luffy, dead or alive. 100,000,000" 

"Pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro, dead or alive. 60,000,000"

"Silent bell Tani, Alive. 45,000,000"

"WHAT?!" Tani shrieked, dropping the page like it was poisonous. This can't be real! First off how the hell did she have a higher starting bounty than Luffy? Second! How did she even get a bounty?! Thirdly! Why just alive?! 

Luffy looked at her curiously before spotting the pages fluttering away from her. He stretched his arm to grab the pages and pulled them back to read. His face lit up with excitement, shoving the pages into Tani's bag before strapping it to his back. She wanted to rip the pages out of the bag, but he'd already jumped onto her back (almost knocking her over). 

"let's go!" Luffy cheered, leaning forward. Tani clicked her heels for safe travels and sped away from the drunken town of Mocktown. 

...

"wait a minute!" Luffy burst, frightening Tani a bit. She jumped from the shock and accidentally smacked Luffy's head into a tree branch. He unwound his legs from her waist and pushed off her back, scampering up a tree. "where'd it go?" he pouted, scratching his head. Tani looked at her captain, tapping her wrist.

"we don't have much time Luffy. Nami will have our heads if we show up late," she informed. Luffy was ignoring her, because he found his sights set on something else. His tongue poking out as he searched. It was cute. Well Luffy's always cute... It's not weird to call your captain cute is it? 

"found it!" Luffy called as he threw one of his arms rocketing past Tani. The air current he made making her wavy locks dance around her exposed eye. His arm pulled back just as quickly, leaving her waist long hair to be thrown over her head with the pull. Man she should really tie it up. 

"I haven't seen one of these since I was a kid!" Luffy cried with elation. His normally childish tone was dialed up to maximum. Tani cleared her mess of hair away to find a golden bug being shoved towards her. Her eyes shifting back and forth between said bug and Luffy. Who had the brightest smile she'd ever seen, and coming from the king of smiles that was saying something! 

"what bug is it?" Tani asked with a finger pointing at the large bug. Luffy vibrated with excitement.

"it's a gold-shelled atlas beetle! My brothers and I would catch them all the time and make them fight. Ace was the best at catching them," Luffy gushed. It was so adorable listening to him praise his brother... Single brother... He said brothers. 

"do you have more brothers?" Tani asked. Luffy's expression fell, his smile less radiant than before. "oh sorry I didn't me-"

"his name was Sabo. He was really cool and wore this big top hat with goggles. He was the smartest, he even taught me and Ace how to read," Luffy praised. Tani gave him a solemn look, her hand finding its way to her captain's shoulder to give it a comforting squeeze. He turned to her with his eyes shining brightly. 

"do you wanna keep the beetle? Im sure I could buy a bug enclosure or something at the dimension store," Tani offered. Luffy shook his head. 

"he needs his family," Luffy smiled, letting go of the beetle and watching it fly away with a buzz. Luffy turned back to Tani and gave her a hug. She was left stunned, this felt like such an intimate moment. Slowly she caged her arms around her nakama. Luffy nested his head into her soft hair, almost like a child after having a bad dream. 

"I'm so happy to have my nakama, I won't let anything bad happen to any of you," Luffy promised. Tani smiled.

"I'm sure the crew feels the same way Luffy," she declared. "after all," she lifted her face to look into his bright black eyes. 

"what kind of crew would we be, if we couldn't support the future king of the pirates?"


End file.
